Indonesia suspends joint patrol with Australia after fishing boats burnt - Sydney Morning Herald

Singapore: Indonesia has suspended a joint maritime patrol with the Australian Border Force on the eve of a visit to Jakarta by Foreign Minister Marise Payne after the burning of three Indonesian fishing boats off the north-west coast of Australia.

She will arrive days after the ABF released photographs of vessels that had been seized in an operation late last month near Rowley Shoals, about 260 kilometres west of Broome, as part of a crackdown against illegal fishing operations.

The ABF said 16 vessels that were fishing illegally in the area had been intercepted, with three destroyed and the others escorted out of Australian waters.

Indonesian authorities have reacted to the incident, however, by putting on hold a joint maritime patrol with Australia while they seek an explanation.

Australian authorities seized fishing equipment and 630 kilograms of sea cucumber in the raids.

Like Australia, Indonesia is also known to destroy fishing vessels it deems to be operating illegally in its waters after transferring crew to other boats.

But the latest episode could become a talking point as Payne arrives in Jakarta on the final leg of a south-east Asian tour that has taken in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam in the past five days.

After a meeting between the long-time Cambodian leader and Payne on Monday, Hun Sen said Australia had now pledged to provide 3.25 million vaccine doses to the south-east Asian nation, with 1 million to arrive by the end of the year.