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Shark Fin Profits Outweigh Fears of Prosecution
From International Big Fish Network

Substantial profits in the shark fin trade have outweighed fears of prosecution for those involved in the illegal business, according to Palau President Tommy Remengesau.  Palau is a small archipelago part of the Western Caroline Islands, where  President Remengesau said "I guess the profit makes people take the risk." As his administration announced its seizure of the third haul of shark fin and mutilated bodies from a foreign vessel in under three months.

"We were hoping the message by now was very clear to everyone, but we will continue to fully enforce our laws."

A small archipelago part of the Western Caroline Islands is around 850 kilometres (520 miles) east of the Philippines.

It passed stringent anti-shark fishing laws in September and Remengesau's administration has twice publicly burned shark fins and bodies seized from foreign vessels.

At the last bonfire in January, Palau authorities burned 180,000 dollars worth of shark parts. Remengesau said the bonfires were to warn fishermen not to take Palau sharks.

In Palau and across the globe, fishermen have increasingly targeted sharks for markets in Southeast Asia such as Hong Kong and Taiwan where the expensive dish of shark fin soup is widely popular.

Meanwhile, an anti-shark fishing movement has been growing among environmentalists.

Marine biologists denounce shark finning because it wastes nearly the entire catch as fishermen often cut off the highly-valued fins and throw the shark body back in the water.

Biologists also oppose fishing heavily for sharks because sharks are apex predators with slow reproductive cycles and thus, they say, can easily be over fished.

Remengesau said the next step for his administration is to ask the court to administer the maximum penalties, which can reach 500,000 dollars, and include the forfeit of the vessel.

The first case prosecuted under the new law ended in a 10,000 dollar settlement in January and the release of the fishing vessel. Another shark fishing case filed in February is pending.

The recent haul was taken from the Taiwanese vessel F/V Yi Feng. Palau customs officers found nearly 300 kilograms of shark fins and 500 kilograms of bodies and filleted shark meat on board, according to a statement from the Palau attorney general. No estimate to the value of the haul was given.