Project 1882 calls on the President of Taiwan to take action after 6.5 tons of shark fins caught on Taiwanese vessel
In June, a Taiwanese vessel was caught with 6.5 tons of illegally caught shark fins on board. The sharks' bodies were not found on board the vessel. Shark finning is a brutal process, the sharks are caught and finned, mainly far out at sea, and the method is practiced globally. Most often this is done while the shark is still alive, the dismembered body is then thrown into the sea to meet an agonizing death. Based on the weight of fins found on the vessel, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 sharks have been killed.
The Taiwanese vessel Jin Maan Fa No. 66, where the shark fins were discovered, has previously been sanctioned in 2021 for similar fishing violations. The punishment they received was a fine of 5 million Taiwanese dollars, equivalent to approximately 140 000 euros, and the vessel had their fishing license suspended for 16 months.
– The penalty the vessel received in 2021 was not enough. Shark finning causes immense suffering to the sharks, who suffer an agonizing death. Project 1882 therefore wants to see zero tolerance against shark finning in Taiwan and an amendment to the law to introduce a total fishing ban against the vessel, says Camilla Bergvall, head chairman for Project 1882.
Taiwan was the first country in Asia to ban shark finning, and the Fisheries Agencies has repeatedly stated that it has zero tolerance for illegal shark finning. Despite claiming zero tolerance, Taiwanese law requires vessels to commit the same offense at least twice within a year or three times within a period before their license is permanently revoked. As a result, the license of Jin Maan Fa no. 66 not to be revoked despite repeated and willful violations of Taiwan's ban on shark finning.
Project 1882 now wants to see a zero tolerance against shark finning in Taiwan and a total fishing ban for this vessel.
Therefore, in response to this, Project 1882 has signed an open letter to the President of Taiwan. The President has previously called on his government to change existing regulations, to implement and zero-tolerance policy against shark finning. The president also wants to implement an immediate revocation of fishing licenses after the first violation. Project 1882 therefore calls on the President of Taiwan to carry out the implementation and ensure its completion.
Sharks have existed for over 400 million years and play a vital role in marine ecosystems. Sharks are incredibly intelligent, they have, among other things, more senses than humans. They have a sixth sense called the “electric sense”. It’s in the skin and allows the shark to sense the presence of other living creatures even though they are out of sight. Due to human overexploitation, many shark species are now threatened with extinction.
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Project 1882 makes a difference globally for the animals that are the most exploited and suffer the worst.
