Chinese Ship Detained in Kiribati for Banned Shark Fins

Kiribati's maritime police detained a Chinese vessel this month for illegally harvesting shark fins, commander Tom Redfern told AFP.

The ship was among four vessels detained between August 3 and August 14 during a surveillance crackdown by 11 Pacific island nations. Inspectors found shark fins on board the Chinese ship, which was licensed to travel through Kiribati's waters. Redfern stated the vessel was breaching its condition of license by keeping and retaining shark fins onboard and was escorted back to Christmas Island for further investigation.

The practice of cutting fins off live sharks and discarding the carcasses into the sea is banned in much of the Pacific Ocean due to demand in East and Southeast Asia. Fisheries researcher Andrew Chin at Australia's James Cook University noted that finning has led to massive declines in shark numbers, prompting stringent controls in the Pacific.

The surveillance crackdown was assisted by the US Coast Guard in some areas and an Australian military aircraft, though Kiribati operates its own patrol boat. Kiribati, a Pacific neighbor to Hawaii, has an exclusive economic zone spanning 1.4 million square miles of ocean. It has strengthened ties with Beijing since switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan in 2019 and hosts Chinese police, a decision the United States has said risks fueling regional tensions.

Kiribati has also recently increased cooperation with France, with French military personnel expected to arrive next month on Christmas Island to rebuild local police stations.