Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement of Fisheries Laws between the Government of Australia and the Government of the French Republic in the Maritime Areas Adjacent to the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Heard Island and the McDonald Islands.

This Agreement between Australia and France reflects the strong foundation of cooperation established in the field of fisheries surveillance between the Parties by the Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of the French Republic on Cooperation in the Maritime Areas Adjacent to the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Heard Island and the McDonald Islands seeks to prevent problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing within and adjacent to the Parties’ maritime areas. The object of this Agreement is to enhance cooperative enforcement of fisheries laws in the Area of Cooperation. The Agreement requires Controllers to exercise cooperative enforcement activities aboard an authorised vessel of the other Party, with the consent of the other Party in: a) the Area of Cooperation; b) outside the Area of Cooperation in situations of hot pursuit pursuant to Article 4; and c) outside the Area of Cooperation where a vessel is acting as a mother ship and one of its boats or other craft, working as a team, is within the Area of Cooperation. Authorised vessels of each Party may engage in the use of disruptive measures, to the extent permitted by their national law and policies, and consistent with international law, as a means of hindering the activities of fishing vessels believed to be fishing illegally in the Area of Cooperation. Any cooperative enforcement activity involving the use of force against a fishing vessel shall require the joint authorisation of both Parties. The Parties shall, as soon as possible, enter into further arrangements regarding cooperative enforcement.