Indonesian Connections - Sama Biasa and Australia's Borders

Sama Biasa is one of two prahus (Indonesian fishing boats) which were arrested fishing in Australian waters in August 1980. The crew of six, led by Amin Pello, originally left Roti Island, near West Timor, making for Australian waters, to fish within an agreed fishing zone. At the time skipper Pello was 23 years old and responsible for supporting his widowed mother and three younger brothers. 

Sama Biasa was intercepted near Gregory Island, in the Buccaneer Archipelago, outside the designated fishing zone, by a coastal surveillance aircraft. At the time it was camouflaged with mangrove branches. The vessel was towed to Koolan Island (about 1900km north of Perth off the Kimberley coast) pending a court hearing. While at anchor it required regular pumping. The vessel was then donated to the Western Australian Museum and was transported to Fremantle by the State Shipping Service while the crew returned to Indonesia. The vessel's arrival caused considerable concern among Museum staff as it was clear that significant conservation work was required and, if it was refloated, it would have to be berthed at a commercial mooring. Fortunately, Dr James Pang, then of the Conservation Laboratory of the WA Museum, conserved the vessel and it is now on display here, at the WA Maritime Museum, as an example of the many such vessels that have run foul of Australian Maritime Law. 

N22S Searchmaster aircraft as used in Australian coastal surveillance (Coastwatch) in the 1970s and 1980s. On display at Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
Credit: Eric Salard, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0