MMR Refutes CINEWS and Opposition Leader’s Shark Allegations

Cook Islands News reporters and the Leader of the Opposition that a Luen Thai fishing vessel has been targeted for surveillance or that three tonnes of shark finswere found on board a vessel during recent sea operations have been refuted by the Ministry of Marine Resources.
“These allegations are false” says Secretary of Marine Resources, Mr Ben Ponia.
“Responding in detail to these rumours would only compromise operational security and the due processes for investigating the boarding and inspection reports. However the public can be assured that the picture of a rampant shark finning trade operating in our waters is not true” he says.
According to the MMR what actually took place recently at sea was an unprecedented scale of surveillance operations and precise targeting of fishing vessels. It is considered to be a huge success in terms of the level of coordination, intelligence gathered and the relationships built.
Multilateral operations were conducted by New Zealand, France, U.S and Samoa with assistance of the Forum Fisheries Agency. This involved surveillance assets including warships, patrol boats and aircraft - CIPPB Te Kukupa,MV Nafanua, HMNZS Te Kaha, HMNZS Otago,HMNZS Canterbury, FPB Arago, French Navy Gardian aircraft, U.S Coastguard C130 Herculesand RNZAF P3 Orion. An MMR fisheries officer assisted to direct operations from the FFA regional coordination centre in Honiara.
The shark allegations were irresponsible and sensationalist and underminesthe sophisticated operation that was occurring, notes Ponia.
For the first time those fishing vessels involved in the exploratory fishing for big-eye tuna and swordfish were boarded for inspection by Cook Islands officials. The boarding party comprised of six Maritime Police Officers and two Fisheries Officers. The“presence” of HMNZS Otago was considered an essential element to support the Cook Islands boarding party.
The task plan involved investigating any breaches of the fishing license conditions that prohibit the deliberate targeting of shark fins.
The current MMR licensing conditions allow fishing vessels to retain non-endangered species of shark but that the ratio of fins to carcass weight must not exceed 5%.
The majority of sharks caught in the Cook Islands waters are the blue shark, whose carcass is utilised for food. Scientific data indicates that this shark population is actually increasing in Cook Island waters.
To prevent targeted finning taking place the MMR has drafted a shark policy that allows certain species of sharks to be retained and that their fins must be attached to the carcass.

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