Darwin Hotel Transformed Into Detention Site as Illegal Fishing Arrests Soar

Notices at the hotel’s entrance restrict access to authorised individuals only.

A supplied image obtained on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, shows people on a foreign illegal fishing boat spotted near Crocker Island, a remote Northern Territory island northeast of Darwin. AAP Image/Supplied by Northern Territory Land Council

A hotel in central Darwin has been repurposed into a temporary detention facility to manage a sharp rise in the number of Indonesian nationals apprehended for illegal fishing in northern Australian waters.

The Frontier Hotel, located in the city’s inner suburbs, is now closed to the public and staffed by uniformed personnel from MTC, a private contractor overseeing the site. Notices at the hotel’s entrance restrict access to authorised individuals only.

AAP confirmed on July 23 that the building was not open to guests.

Since July 1, 2024, Darwin Local Court has heard the prosecution of 237 Indonesian fishers.

On July 8 alone, 19 Indonesian nationals pleaded guilty in the court to illegal fishing in Australian waters. Authorities seized 130 kilograms of sea cucumber, 390 kilograms of salt, and various fishing tools and were fined to the tune of $74,500.

With Darwin no longer operating a purpose-built immigration detention centre for such offenders, authorities have turned to alternative accommodation solutions.

Most of the detained Indonesian fishers are intercepted at sea by the Australian Border Force (ABF) or Navy vessels. Their boats are confiscated, and upon conviction—often following guilty pleas—they are typically issued good behaviour bonds and repatriated to Indonesia.

The Migration Act 1958 obligates the Department of Home Affairs to facilitate the prompt removal of unlawful non-citizens held in immigration detention.

“AFMA and Maritime Border Command are absolutely committed to detecting, apprehending and prosecuting those who come to Australia and fish illegally,” Justin Bathurst, general manager of Fisheries Operations at AFMA, said in a statement on July 15.

Regional Efforts to Curb Illegal Fishing Intensify

In an effort to strengthen regional enforcement, AFMA conducted a training program in May for 38 fisheries officers from Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The course, held in Vietnam, focused on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Now in its third year, the Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) course was run in collaboration with Nha Trang University and regional partners. Officers from nine nations—including Indonesia, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea—took part in the training.

Topics covered included regulatory frameworks, compliance enforcement, gender inclusion in fisheries management, and cross-border collaboration.

AFMA said the program is intended to foster a coordinated regional response to IUU fishing, with a second phase scheduled for 2025 and a fourth round planned for 2026.