Owner of Japanese Fishing Vessel Charged with Unlawful Trafficking of Shark Fins
Hamada Suisan Co. Ltd.,
the owner of a Japanese-flagged fishing vessel, was charged in federal court with aiding and abetting the attempted export of shark fins out of Hawaii in violation of the Lacey Act, the Department of Justice announced today.
The charge arose from the November
2018 discovery of approximately 962 shark fins, weighing approximately 190 pounds, from the checked luggage of fisherman working aboard the Japanese-flagged fishing vessel, M.V. Kyoshin Maru No. 20 (Kyoshin Maru).
The Kyoshin Maru had engaged in longline tuna fishing in the southern Pacific Ocean for approximately one year prior,
u a crew of officers who were Japanese nationals and fishermen who were Indonesian nationals.
harvested fins In the course of the voyage, crew members harvested fins from approximately 300 sharks.
On or about Nov. 6, 2018,
the Kyoshin Maru traveled near Hawaii, and its Indonesian crew members legally entered the United States in order to board return flights departing from Honolulu International Airport.
Transportation Security Administration
During routine screening, Transportation Security Administration officers
discovered the shark fins in 10 of the fishermen’s checked luggage.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seized the shark fins, which it later determined were worth as much as $57,850 on the black market.
OPA | Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/owner-japanese-fishing-vessel-charged-unlawful-trafficking-shark-fins