Salome Toby has lived in the Torres Strait Islands her whole life, but on Friday she saw something she’d never seen before. She was flying home to Boigu Island, Australia’s northernmost inhabited island, when she spotted something unusual out of the plane’s window.
The sea below was dotted with tiny vessels. Observing the long, narrow shape, she immediately knew they were foreign fishing boats illegally fishing in Australian waters.
“We thought it was island boats, but when I zoomed in, I saw that it was a different sort of boat,” Salome told Yahoo News.
“We were so shocked and scared. There were so many.”
In a statement on Sunday night, the Torres Shire Council said it was “gravely concerned” for the “safety and security” of its residents.
“When a foreign vessel can get within 100 metres of the mainland, people quite naturally begin to worry about what else may be entering our waters undetected. This creates very real safety and security concerns for local families,” the council said.
Mayor Elsie Seriat said residents have been contacting her asking why the boats are not being intercepted.
“I find these incidents extremely worrying for our region and will be pursuing answers at every level,” she said.
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