AI Generated Image
Chinese ship caught with banned shark fins in Pacific Ocean in operation involving U.S. Coast Guard
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Kiribati detained a Chinese vessel this month for illegally harvesting shark fins, a practice banned across much of the Pacific due to its cruelty and ecological impact.
- The vessel was licensed to travel in Kiribati waters but was found retaining shark fins onboard, violating its license conditions, and was escorted to Christmas Island for further investigation.
- This detention was part of a broader surveillance crackdown involving 11 Pacific island nations, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and Australian military aircraft, targeting illegal fishing activities.
- Shark finning involves removing fins from live sharks and discarding the mutilated animals, causing massive declines in shark populations and is difficult to detect due to its illegality.
- Despite reduced demand for shark fins in China, illegal trade persists, with previous seizures including a major bust in Peru involving 10,000 fins linked to a transnational criminal network.
