Greenpeace Taiwan yesterday produced evidence of 16 suspected shark finning and labor rights violations by Taiwanese fishing boats, criticizing the nation’s fishing industry of being “out of control” and accusing the government of slack management.
The organization showed footage of 16 suspected shark finning activities, as fishermen were filmed unloading and processing items that resemble shark fins without the corresponding shark carcasses.
The footage was the result of a secret investigation conducted by the organization at ports in Yilan and Pingtung counties from August to October last year, while the discovery of 16 suspected violations in three months far exceeded the 18 shark finning cases confirmed by the Fisheries Agency and the Coast Guard Administration last year, Greenpeace Taiwan project manager Yen Ning (顏寧) said.
Photo: Greenpeace Taiwan
Under a shark fin harvest law that took effect in 2012, it is strictly prohibited to remove and retain shark fins while discarding the remainder of the shark in the ocean.
“Taiwan’s shark finning prohibition was the first in Asia, but the government’s limited law enforcement ability has made the well-intentioned law a toothless provision,” Yen said.
“The agency has proposed introducing draft regulations on distant fisheries and draft amendments to the Fisheries Act [漁業法] to raise the fine for illegal fishing to have the EU withdraw a ‘yellow card’ it issued to Taiwan over illegal fishing last year, but the legislation will not be helpful unless the law can be substantially enforced. A feasible action plan is what it takes to build a responsible and sustainable fishing industry,” she said.
The organization also interviewed more than 100 migrant workers working on Taiwanese fishing boats operating in waters around Taiwan and Fiji, and two-thirds of them had been physically abused, overworked, unequally treated or had experienced improper pay deductions.
The prosecution by the Cambodian government in 2014 of a Taiwanese brokerage agency, Giant Ocean Co, for its exploitation of hundreds of Cambodian workers recruited to work on Taiwanese-owned boats was also an indication of human rights infringements in Taiwan’s fishing industry, Greenpeace Taiwan said.
Labor rights violations and shark finning have tainted “made in Taiwan” seafood, which is sold to unsuspecting consumers around the world, Yen said.
The Fisheries Agency responded to the criticism by saying that is has more than 100 law enforcement officers that conduct random inspections at different ports to prevent shark finning and fishing violations.
The agency said it would examine evidence provided by Greenpeace Taiwan and that it would not tolerate illegal activities, regardless of the nationality of violators.
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