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Marshall Islands fine Japanese ship for violating shark fin ban

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© 2012 AFP

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Thanks again Japan!

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Yea like Japanese fishinmg boats are he only ones ever caught poaching.

-5 ( +6 / -12 )

good to see that the Marshall Islands are not afraid of enforcing their laws...hope they manage to collect

14 ( +16 / -2 )

It said Japanese owned. Never it said Japanese crews. Chances are the boat was commissioned to catch tuna and employed crew from various parts of the world particularly East Asia and Southeast Asia. The crew knowing that they can sell sharks fins to the Chinese and make more money is tempting. These crews usually gets very cheap salary.

-19 ( +3 / -23 )

Asias burgeoning middle classes

i.e. Chinese

Show me one article by AFP about tuna where they do NOT list Japanese as the main consumer.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

mikihouse - show me a single japanese vessel where the japanese trust a crew entirely of foreign nationals! And you've obviously never worked on an ocean going vessel, otherwise you'd know the salary is far from 'cheap'.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Im sure It's for research purposes only!

15 ( +17 / -2 )

27000kg wow!

So is this also part of the heritage of the country? I mean i wonder how JP will fight back. Or will they?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

70 million ! Can that be right? That's a huge number.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

come on japan ! hunting whales is one thing as at least the whole of the whale is used. but killing a shark just for its fin is totally insane !!!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Oh wow, the Japanese engaging in illegal activities to receive money from the Chinese, now I've seen everything.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Some posters believe the govt. is responsible for a citizen's illegality ??

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

bookowls...why don't you show me a proof that this vessel is being manned by Japanese national instead?

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

A better fine is to take away the fishing license and confiscate all catches onboard of the offending vessel.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

While I don't believe in killing sharks for shark fin soup. Accepting a fine by the Marshall Islands? I mean really?! Not being funny they would be like a 2 year old starting on an adult. You could easily just walk over them.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

Somebody needs to teach them that the Fin is not magic. Just another piece of the shark. Where do these people get such weird ideas?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Tuna consumed in Japan but not caught by the Japanese = Japan's fault Shark fin caught by the Japanese but consumed elsewhere = Japan's fault

For the record I am against the over fishing of any resource but I'm also against the double standards of this board.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Heda: But isn't Japan the common thread in both your examples?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

heda, sorry but I think you need to re-think yr comment at 11:14, if you cant figure it out read paulinusa to get the correct answer

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japan has a history of being in balance with nature, it's all about the Zen. Stories about Whaling slaughtering Dolfins, Sharks, denying health checks to children, cow towering to the N industry, theft on a decade long scale from pension funds, over fishing Tuna, feeding cesium tainted meat to children or mercury tainted...that is all a tradition and no-one has any right to say anything negative about it. Dumb foreigners

10 ( +12 / -2 )

we're killing the planet.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Cricky may get a lot of hands down but he's not disturbing the wa.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Pollution does more harm than poaching.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

No! No! No! The Japanese are the victims here! The sharks were harassing their fishing boat and jumped on board, so they cut the fins off so they couldn't escape. Then they were gonna take them back to Japan for interrogation. Right?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

It said Japanese owned. Never it said Japanese crews. Chances are the boat was commissioned to catch tuna and employed crew from various parts of the world particularly East Asia and Southeast Asia. The crew knowing that they can sell sharks fins to the Chinese and make more money is tempting. These crews usually gets very cheap salary.

And your point is, @mikihouse? The fact that the operators don't actually get their hands dirty makes it alright to poach in breach of international conventions to stop overfishing, that Japan is itself signatory to? They going to say "Ah, but it was a bunch of Filipinos who actually killed the sharks, nothing to do with us!" Think that'll fly in court? The operator of the boat is responsible. I expect if you've seen recent cases of Sea-Shepherd activists jailed for supposed theft of whalemeat, and Chinese skippers arrested in Japanese territorial waters, you'll know about how laws work.

The operator also makes most of the profit when they export the fins to Hong Kong or import them to Japan. Fact is, a Japanese boat was caught flouting international law.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Heda_Madness: "Tuna consumed in Japan but not caught by the Japanese = Japan's fault Shark fin caught by the Japanese but consumed elsewhere = Japan's fault"

A rather simplistic view on the subject, since I doubt anyone praises the people who overfish bluefin tuna on Japan's behalf. Do you believe that one party being wrong makes the other party right? And in case you missed it, shark fin soup is not just consumed 'elsewhere', it's a delicacy in Japan as well.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Ignore..... They know that word very well. Pretend not knowing is a good word too.Maybe they say it did not happen, the shark jumped in our boats. We didn't do it. While they jumped the fin came off.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Marshall Islands are shark sanctuary. Japanese vessels love poaching in sanctuaries. They have a slogan, lets go harvesting the sea.

good to see that the Marshall Islands are not afraid of enforcing their laws..

Yes, it might be. Or it was just a warning to the Japanese to pay the bribe.

Whatever it is, one thing is sure, the Japanese arrogantly disregard and shamelessly evade all laws at the sea. This was nor the first one. Oh, yes, and they have another slogan to the world; please respect us, our culture and our laws.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I ate shark fin in Hong Kong last week.

This ship kept the whole shark. They should not be fined. They were not finning. They were using all the meat.

-15 ( +1 / -16 )

Doesn't matter if they were finning or not- if you read the article it says:

violating a ban on shark fishing,

hence they got fined.
6 ( +7 / -1 )

The shark murdering is really going to come back and bite us in the tail (sorry, bad pun). The way they catch these poor things is disgusting. How about taking the crew and the owners and chopping off their legs and arms and throw them to the sea? I mean, that IS exactly what they do to these poor things.

JapanGal, I seriously hope you are kidding. Why not take a look at some of the traffic images the web has posted for how these animals are killed. I think if people had any clue how much they suffer, they might rethinking their bland, nasty soup.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I think money is not a good punisment , hand for a hand I say. throw em in water there so that sharks can get a revenge on em

2 ( +3 / -1 )

A fine of $125,000 seems a bit on the lighter side. Especially when you consider how lucrative the fishing industry is and how strong the yen is at the moment.

@tmarie While I do oppose poaching and abuse of the environment. I would say that calling this murder, and decrying the cruelty of the these beautiful creatures a bit on the strong side. Have you ever watched Shark Week or any other documentary about sharks? Sharks are cool, fun to watch, and serve a valuable purpose in their environment, but they are also terrifying hunters. A shark's normal day involves tearing things apart crippling and maiming many different forms of aquatic wildlife in there questing for food. I disagree with driving a species to extinction and wasting a lot of good meat for a few fins, but I'm not to distraught considering that the natural world is typically far crueler than what man inflicts on it.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Do any of you know how shark fins are harvested? They drag the shark on board, alive, hack off the fin, then throw the shark back in, still alive, to die in slow agony, unable to swim properly. I'm no fan of sharks, but why do this, whatever race or nationality is catching them?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Patrick SmashFeb. 26, 2012 - 03:02PM JST Wow Ossan, you do view poaching differently when Japan does it. If China does it you think it's the start of WWIII.

My response is to this gem; "MeanRingoFeb. 26, 2012 - 07:42AM JST Thanks again Japan!"

Perhaps that weill put it in perspective for you. And this article does not address China, even though they are poaching on a far widers scale in conjunction witrh their territorial claims and military expansion and stepping on the toes opf all it;s neighbors. But no,m that can't lead to WWIII could it...

Additonally They obviously were not finning, a known major problem

"Enforcement officer Marcella Tarkwon said a search of the ship Satsuma last week uncovered 27,000 kilograms of shark carcasses and 680 kilograms of shark fins."

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

smithinjapanFeb. 26, 2012 - 01:51PM JST

And in case you missed it, shark fin soup is not just consumed 'elsewhere', it's a delicacy in Japan as well.

Yes, but only in CHINESE restaurants in Japan, Because it;s a Chinese delicacy not a Japanese one,

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

OssanAmerica

"And in case you missed it, shark fin soup is not just consumed 'elsewhere', it's a delicacy in Japan as well." Yes, but only in CHINESE restaurants in Japan, Because it;s a Chinese delicacy not a Japanese one,

And next you will say that only Chinese eat at Chinese restaurants even in Japan right?

7 ( +10 / -3 )

CletusFEB. 26, 2012 - 08:55PM JST OssanAmerica "And in case you missed it, shark fin soup is not just consumed 'elsewhere', it's a delicacy in Japan as well." Yes, but only in CHINESE restaurants in Japan, Because it;s a Chinese delicacy not a Japanese one, And next you will say that only Chinese eat at Chinese restaurants even in Japan right?

Of course not. What a stupid comment.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

Japanese and our fish, when will we ever stop?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

@mikihouse

It said Japanese owned. Never it said Japanese crews. Chances are the boat was commissioned to catch tuna and employed crew from various parts of the world particularly East Asia and Southeast Asia. The crew knowing that they can sell sharks fins to the Chinese and make more money is tempting. These crews usually gets very cheap salary.

'mikihouse' = 'disneyland'? because you must be living in the same 'wonder'land and escapism that is disney. Chances are they were Japanese. Last I checked Japan was a little "yabai" when it came to fishing/whaling/lying/ "and so on". If there is any country worse than Japan in this factor, it could only be China, whose fisherman have been known to "wander" into Japanese waters.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The shark has a chunk of it removed, goes back to water, continues swimming (or sinking) until it dies or other things eat it, and that's cruel. Yes?

And what happens to the things that sharks eat?

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

OssanAmerica: "Yes, but only in CHINESE restaurants in Japan, Because it;s a Chinese delicacy not a Japanese one,"

Dude, that's one of the dumbest comments of the day -- are you on the sauce again like with your pretty much unintelligible comment to me the other day?

It's amusing to watch people try and blame China for this, or suggest the JAPANESE operated boat had nothing to do with Japan, and that Japan is (once again) the victim, and then watch people like Ossan stoop so low as to suggest it's China's fault IN Japan.

Sad what some people will slink to to avoid simply saying that what is happening is wrong and bad, and what the security of the Marshall Islands did was correct.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

OssanAmerica: "Perhaps that weill put it in perspective for you. And this article does not address China, even though they are poaching on a far widers scale in conjunction witrh their territorial claims and military expansion and stepping on the toes opf all it;s neighbors. But no,m that can't lead to WWIII could it..."

Okay, scratch my earlier comment in regards to asking whether you were back on the sauce or not... once again the sheer amount of errors in your comment, spelling or otherwise, suggest you are not in a state to comment objectively on the subject. Is this why you got banned as OssanUltra?

A Japanese boat was caught doing something illegal. Why are you defending them?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Ossan: "Sorry smith but it happens to be true. Anyone who has lived in Japan over 3 months can tell you this."

The sauce part is true, I have no doubt. Went back to read your comment -- or try to -- and I couldn't make heads or tails of what you were trying to say. Regardless, let's say your racist suggestions are true, who are the consumers of a restaurant that serves shark-fin soup in Japan? You going to blame china for that as well?

"All I'm stooping to do is correct your ignorance of life in Japan."

Ummm... no. You're suggesting that anyone who does not defend Japan the way you do is wrong in their thinking.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

In the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and tidalwave, did you all miss that part about the fishcake, kamaboko, tempura,satsuma age,chikuwa, and sharkfin factories up in Miyagi ken that got wiped out? Tohoku is the center of Shark fin production in Japan. Surprised? Don't be... The next time you enjoy some "kouhaku" red and white fishcake during osechi season, please remember... you're eating shark meat!

Yes, it's true, Japan is a huge shark predator... And, they use the whole carcass not just the fins! And the gourmands of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, Macao, and Beijing all agree that the best prepared sharks fin comes from Morioka up along the Tohoku coast!

Oh, I'm just as guilty as I agree, the fishcake from Morioka are the "best in the world!" You can get some yourself here in Tokyo, too! There's lots and lots of antennae stores and specialty "chuka" groceries that feature it now that the factories are back in business...

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

It costs about $ 183.00 in fines per kg / fins. How many soups with a fin?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

OssanAmerica: "Wrong. You stated that shark fin was a Japanese delicacy."

How many times in one day do you need to shoot yourself in the foot? I said it was not ONLY a delicacy in China, but ALSO in Japan. Nowhere did I say it was a 'Japanese delicacy', but I'm quite sure you won't bother to reread my comment you hastily replied to, so I'll save you the trouble:

"Do you believe that one party being wrong makes the other party right? And in case you missed it, shark fin soup is not just consumed 'elsewhere', it's a delicacy in Japan as well."

Ouch. How does that crow taste, Ossan? As to showing you how you blame China for this, I have more than adequately pointed out how you insist it has nothing to do with Japanese restaurants, and say it is only a delicacy in Chinese restaurants in Japan. Or do you deny saying the things you stated as you cherry-pick and claim others are saying what they are not saying?

One more question... how much longer does it take you to type without all the mistakes?

Moderator: You can have 48 hours off to learn some manners.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@tmarie While I do oppose poaching and abuse of the environment. I would say that calling this murder, and decrying the cruelty of the these beautiful creatures a bit on the strong side. Have you ever watched Shark Week or any other documentary about sharks? Sharks are cool, fun to watch, and serve a valuable purpose in their environment, but they are also terrifying hunters. A shark's normal day involves tearing things apart crippling and maiming many different forms of aquatic wildlife in there questing for food. I disagree with driving a species to extinction and wasting a lot of good meat for a few fins, but I'm not to distraught considering that the natural world is typically far crueler than what man inflicts on it. That pet dog you have would behave just the same if it was out in the wild. If sharks aren't around to maintain the ecosystem and balance there are going to be a lot of issues with other marine life. And sorry, what animal purposely cuts of "limbs", leaves the rest and then leaves the animal to die a slow and painful death? Besides man, I can think of none. We are the cruelest of all.

With regards to the "It is the Chinese fault" I have heard this line faaaar too many times by the locals. Some try to blame the Chinese for everything - including the tuna issue. Unreal. I'd make a comment about a few things two mayors have recently said, how some people obviously agree... but the mod would remove it.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

125,000 is not going to Hurt them - just a warning for 1 boat out of hundreds. Healthy start if they keep penalising them? And japanese crew or not it is a Japanese boat that means controlled and operated by a Japanese company. Japanese government should also penalise them for bringing dis honour to Japan but instead they say something foolish like its for science. What happened to giri and bushido? Honour and pride?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

So ... does this mean that the SSCS is tailing the wrong set of whalers?

Don't get me wrong ... but if the Antartica whalers are whaling non-endangered whales, then I believe that these Marshall Islands fishers should be getting higher priority.Who knows, fishers in other areas may be doing the same.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

OssanAmerica

You reckon my comment was stupid, and l agree it was. It was stupid on purpose because it was in response to an even stupider comment that went along the lines of:

"And in case you missed it, shark fin soup is not just consumed 'elsewhere', it's a delicacy in Japan as well." Yes, but only in CHINESE restaurants in Japan, Because it;s a Chinese delicacy not a Japanese one

You are saying there that even though shark fin soup is consumed elsewhere in the world that its only done in CHINESE restaurants and because its a Chinese delicacy not a Japanese one. So again do you think only Chinese eat in Chinese restaurants, next time lm eating in my favorite Chinese restaurant l will take a poll of the customers and see the % of Japanese or others to Chinese. It might actually surprise you, l suppose you believe only Italians eat Pizza too hey???

-1 ( +3 / -3 )

obviously the marshall islanders have never eaten shark fin soup. without a doubt, the most delicious kind of fin available..

but seriously though, glad they came down on them. Even in territorial waters, have to respect the law.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Enforcement officer Marcella Tarkwon said a search of the ship Satsuma last week uncovered 27,000 kilograms of shark carcasses and 680 kilograms of shark fins.

This was mercy killing as they kept the whole shark. Shark meat tastes like tuna.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

It's no a Japanese boat, but a Singaporian ferry boat, also not a fishing boat.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

correction It is a Singaporean cargo ship.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hit em hard, they can't just go where they want to fish

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese fishermen...making friends wherever they go!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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