Kiribati detains Chinese vessel for illegal shark-fin haul with US Coast Guard help

Kiribati's maritime police detained a Chinese-flagged vessel after inspectors found shark fins, which are banned in most of the Pacific Ocean, on the ship. The boat, which held a license to navigate Kiribati waters, was taken to Christmas Island for investigation, with the operation aided by the U.S. Coast Guard in certain sectors and an Australian military aircraft elsewhere. This seizure was one of four vessels held between early and mid-August as part of a coordinated crackdown by eleven Pacific island nations.

Kiribati, whose exclusive economic zone covers 1.4 million square miles, has been deepening ties with China since switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan in 2019, a move the United States says could heighten regional tensions. French military personnel are slated to arrive next month to refurbish local police stations on the atoll. Experts highlighted the difficulty of detecting finning, noting its severe impact on shark populations and the growing illicit trade routes linking the Pacific to Asian markets.