A Taiwanese fishing vessel allegedly violated shark fin harvesting laws as Coast Guard Administration officers in Hualien County on Saturday found four shark fins without their carcasses onboard the vessel.
Coast guard inspectors boarded the Kaohsiung-registered fishing boat Dong Fa Sheng at Hualien Fishing Port and found pieces of what appeared to be shark fins without any shark carcasses, according to a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily.
Eastern Coastal Patrol Office inspector Liao Jen-jung (廖仁榮) said the boat’s captain, surnamed Lin (林), admitted to removing fins from one shark and abandoning the remainder of the shark carcass at sea before entering the port, saying that he intended to eat the fins himself.
The fins weighed 2.1kg and were delivered to the Fisheries Agency to determine whether they belonged to a protected species.
The Fisheries Agency banned shark finning in 2012, stipulating that only unprotected shark species could be harvested, but the whole shark must be retained and transported to port in its entirety.
According the the Fisheries Act (漁業法), Lin could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of NT$150,000.
Greenpeace Taiwan campaigner Yen Ning (顏寧) said the alleged shark finning might not incur a heavy punishment because fishery authorities measure the severity of shark finning by the size of the ship in addition to the number of fins harvested.
The alleged shark finning might not constitute a severe violation judging by previous instances, Yen said, adding that raising fines for illegal fishing and improving law enforcement is important in the fight against shark finning.
“The maximum fine of NT$150,000 for a fishing violation has been considered too lenient,” Yen said. “The EU and many countries impose a fine of up to five times the illegal gains collected via shark finning. That is more effective in reducing the shark finning practice.”
The legislature has been reviewing the so-called “three fishery acts,” which aim to raise the maximum fine for illegal fishing activities.
The EU last year issued a “yellow card” to Taiwan over what it called the nation’s failure to enforce fishing laws following the discovery of illegal shark finning by a Taiwanese vessel in international waters.
The alleged shark finning by the crew of the Dong Fa Sheng would not have a direct bearing on Taiwan’s attempt to remove the EU yellow card, because the EU warning was focused on the practice of long-distance fishing fleets rather than coastal fishing vessels like the Dong Fa Sheng, Yen said.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS