Chinese vessel caught with banned shark fin in Pacific

Kiribati, a small Pacific island nation near Hawaii, apprehended a Chinese vessel this month for illegally harvesting shark fins, according to the country's maritime police. Shark finning, the practice of removing sharks' fins while they are still alive before discarding the carcasses, is prohibited in many parts of the Pacific Ocean due to demand in East and Southeast Asia.

This vessel was one of four detained in a joint operation by 11 Pacific island nations from August 3 to 14, supported by the US Coast Guard and an Australian military aircraft. Kiribati itself operates its own patrol boat and was tasked with overseeing the ship. The vessel, licensed to operate within Kiribati's waters, was seized upon inspection revealing shark fins on board.

The ship was subsequently escorted to Christmas Island, an atoll belonging to Kiribati, for further examination. Kiribati boasts an expansive exclusive economic zone covering 3.5 million square kilometers, attracting interest from Chinese state enterprises since changing diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan in 2019. The nation also houses Chinese police, a move the United States has criticized, citing potential regional tensions.

A Kiribati flag. Photo: Kahunapule Michael Johnson/Flickr. Kiribati has recently tightened ties with France, with French military personnel scheduled to arrive on Christmas Island next month to aid in the reconstruction of local police stations. The removal of shark fins is strictly prohibited across the region. Andrew Chin, a fisheries researcher at Australia’s James Cook University, notes that finning has led to significant declines in shark populations, necessitating stringent controls in the Pacific.

Chin explains that due to the ban, illegally harvested fins are likely to remain hidden and difficult to detect. Research conducted on DNA of shark fins sold in Hong Kong markets traced their origins to the Pacific region, highlighting the prevalence of illegal trade. Demian Chapman, director of the Sharks and Rays Conservation Research Program at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, confirmed the occurrence of similar cases of Chinese vessels breaching the finning ban.

While reduced demand for shark fin soup in China, including a ban on serving it at government functions, has contributed to a decline in fin trade within Hong Kong, such practices persist in the Pacific.