$2.6 MILLION FISHERIES PATROL VESSEL

Surveillance of the state’s significant fisheries and the capability to respond to emergencies at sea will be boosted with the launch of a new $2.6 million fisheries patrol vessel.

Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister, Rory McEwen said the new vessel, the ‘Southern Ranger’ would be based at North Haven to enable rapid deployment into Gulf St Vincent and adjacent waters.

Speaking at the launch, Mr McEwen said ‘Southern Ranger’ would patrol all State and Commonwealth waters from the Western Australian to Victorian borders.

“The ‘Southern Ranger’ has a range of 800 nautical miles – three times the range of the current patrol vessel it will replace –has a faster cruising speed and will provide twice the sea coverage out to 200 nautical miles,” he said. “The operation of the offshore patrol vessel is an essential component of PIRSA Fisheries compliance operations aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the State’s fish stocks for the future".

“With continued sustainable development of the fishing industry over the next decade, the role of the offshore patrol vessel is expected to become even more strategically important in managing this valuable resource in waters adjacent to South Australia,” Mr McEwen said.

Capabilities of the ‘Southern Ranger’ include:

• A tactical on-water response to reports of suspected illegal fishing activity, including FISHWATCH reports and vessel monitoring;
• An operational presence in specific fishing zones based on intelligence analysis;
• Assisting in the collection of intelligence on suspected illegal fishing activity;
• Responding to shark threats where logistically possible
• Patrolling the State’s marine parks;
• Contributing to the education of fishers and the community about fisheries management and fisheries legislation;
• General surveillance of fishing zones under service level agreements with industry and other Government agencies including Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), The Australian Customs Service, The Department for Transport, Energy & Infrastructure and The Department of Environment & Heritage (State and Commonwealth);
• An emergency response to disasters at sea as part of a formal arrangement with the South Australian Police Department and the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.

The new vessel replaces the 14-year old fisheries patrol vessel, the ‘Tucana’.

The ‘Southern Ranger’ has a state-of-the-art navigation system with the capacity to track vessels for considerable distances.

The long-range patrol vessel complements the department’s fleet of 23 smaller vessels that patrol rivers, gulfs and in-shore areas.