Australian Border Force (ABF) officers have travelled more than 1500 kilometres as part of a remote patrol around the Pilbara region in WA, engaging with remote communities on a range of border threats including illicit drug and firearm importation, and wildlife smuggling.
The Community Visitation Program is an annual opportunity for the ABF to engage with locals, tourists, traditional landowners and business operators, explaining what to look out for and encouraging members of the public to report suspicious activity.
The ABF Dampier District office is responsible for an area of more than 117,000 square kilometres that includes over 600 kilometres of coastline, more than 100 nearby islands, airstrips and isolated stations.
ABF Acting Regional Commander WA, Martin Davies, said the black market trade in Australian wildlife could be lucrative for those involved and was a key concern in the region.
“Native Australian wildlife are highly sought after overseas and can be sold for profit by people who have little regard for their welfare,” Acting Commander Davies said.
“The ABF has an important role to play in protecting our wildlife from unscrupulous collectors and locals often provide valuable information to assist in these investigations”.
“Locals can be an extra set of eyes and ears in the region and our Dampier District Office staff regularly conduct land-based patrols throughout the Pilbara region to engage with them.”
It is illegal under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to export native wildlife without a permit.
The maximum penalty for wildlife trade offences is 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $180,000 for individuals and up to $900,000 for corporations
Anyone living, working or holidaying in these remote areas can report suspicious behaviour or activity at border.gov.au/borderwatch. You can remain anonymous.