The persistent issue of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the northern Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) continues to pose a significant governance challenge in Australia’s maritime domain. In the Arafura and Timor Seas, recurring intrusions challenge Australia’s ability to manage fisheries and govern its borders, especially concerning Indonesian fishing vessels. Rather than treating IUU fishing solely as a maritime security issue that harms marine ecosystems, violates international law, and threatens sustainable fisheries, this paper examines it through the functioning of a key Australian governance body, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). It focuses on its role in developing institutional mechanisms for transboundary fisheries governance. The paper investigates how AFMA has strengthened bilateral cooperation with Indonesia to deter IUU fishing through various integrated architectures such as coordinated surveillance, intelligence sharing, joint operational planning, capacity-building initiatives, and institutional mechanisms such as the Indonesia-Australia Fisheries Surveillance Forum (IAFSF) and the Regional Plan of Action to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices (RPOA-IUU). These bilateral frameworks are utilized by Australia to establish enforcement and monitoring efforts with Indonesia, with an intent to reduce the IUU incursions in Australia’s northern Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). AFMA’s incorporation of vessel monitoring technologies, aerial and maritime surveillance, risk-based compliance strategies, and collaboration with Indonesian fisheries authorities to mitigate illegal activities while encouraging a cooperative approach to governance instead of a confrontational one. The Quad’s Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) is also discussed briefly as a regional initiative that supports Australia’s current institutional efforts by improving maritime domain awareness.
The study is analyzed through the lens of Regime Theory and Constructivist Institutionalism, which enables perusal of both institutional coordination and the normative positioning of Indonesia as a cooperative partner rather than a hostile one. The study adopts a qualitative case study approach based on policy and document analysis, official government reports, and primary interviews with AFMA officials and subject experts. By focusing on AFMA as an institutional actor, the study contributes to broader debates on state capacity, institutional cooperation, and the governance of shared maritime spaces, i.e. the Northern Australian Waters, demonstrating how public institutions like AFMA can address transnational environmental and security challenges.
