Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency has asked the Coast Guard to inspect a Taiwanese fishing boat that has been accused of illegal poaching in the seas off Papua New Guinea.
The international environmental protection group Greenpeace accused the Taiwanese fishing vessel Shuen De Ching No. 888 of having 75 kg. of illegally caught shark fins on board. That’s equivalent to the fins of 42 sharks. By contrast, the boat’s log only records the capture of three sharks.
Under Taiwanese fishing laws, shark fins may not exceed 5% of the weight of the shark catch. Greenpeace says the vessel was in violation of the law.
However, the Fisheries Agency says that Greenpeace boarded and conducted a search of the boat without the permission of Taiwanese authorities. The agency says that this is a violation of international law. The vessel’s fishing license could be suspended if an inspection by Taiwanese authorities finds that its crew violated fishery laws.
The eastern branch of the National Fishermen’s Association has since issued a statement protesting Greenpeace’s actions.