Kiribati Detains Chinese Vessel Over Shark Fins as 4 Boats Were Caught in Pacific Crackdown
Updated
Updated · AOL · Aug 25
Kiribati Detains Chinese Vessel Over Shark Fins as 4 Boats Were Caught in Pacific Crackdown
3 articles · Updated · AOL · Aug 25
Summary
A Chinese vessel licensed to transit Kiribati waters was detained this month after maritime inspectors found shark fins on board and escorted it to Christmas Island for investigation.
Four vessels were detained between Aug. 3 and Aug. 14 in a regional surveillance operation involving 11 Pacific island nations, with U.S. Coast Guard support in some areas and an Australian military aircraft.
Kiribati said its own maritime boarding officer—not under a shiprider agreement—found the vessel had breached its license by keeping and retaining shark fins.
Researchers say shark finning has caused massive shark declines and is hard to detect because the trade is illegal, though DNA studies of Hong Kong markets have traced fins to both sides of the Pacific.
The case highlights continued illegal demand despite weaker shark-fin consumption in China and follows other major seizures, including 10,000 fins in Peru last November.