Environmental conservation groups today asked the government to sanction a new shark finning practice, which consists of unloading the gutted carcasses of elasmobranch species. This practice, according to marine conservationists,… Read more » Continue reading →
Environmental conservation groups today asked the government to sanction a new shark finning practice, which consists of unloading the gutted carcasses of elasmobranch species. This practice, according to marine conservationists, violate international regulations against poaching and abuse of marine resources.
A press release recently published by biologist Erick Ross of MarViva called attention to the issue:
“Prosecutors must establish a clear precedent and stop this cruel practice. Shark populations are being decimated worldwide. Costa Rica should send a clear message that eliminating such practices goes hand in hand with the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.”
The Criminal Court in Puntarenas is currently reviewing a complaint against a Taiwanese woman who serves as the registered business agent of fishing vessels involved in alleged shark finning off the Pacific Coast. The case against this Taiwanese national was reported by The Costa Rica Star back in June 2012:
A more intricate shark finning scheme was uncovered by [fisheries inspectors] in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica also in 2011. The case involves a woman named Kathy Tseng Chang, who is the business agent for three fishing vessels registered in Belize. Fishermen in Puntarenas noticed something suspicious on one of those boats, the fishing vessel (FV) Wang Jia Men 89. The selachian catch of that vessel was highly unusual: it consisted of dorsal fins attached by a wire to portions of shark remains.
Forensic biologists and crime investigators set out to investigate the strange shark fin poaching method of the FV Wang Jia Men 89; they determined that the crew was attempting to circumvent Article 139 of the Fishing Law, which states that all sharks caught and brought to shore must have their fins attached to a certain percentage of the body. Some gutting of the shark is allowed to take place at sea, but the traditional poaching practice of hauling a shark onto the deck of the boat, hacking off its fins and throwing it back to the ocean is considered grounds for criminal prosecution.
Shark fin poachers find a loophole in the laws of Costa Rica, which allows catching sharks as long as they are brought to shore and thoroughly taken advantage of. By gutting sharks at sea and leaving only their skeletal and squamae remains, these nefarious crews make more room in their fish holds to stuff with their wicked catch.
Source: CRHoy.com