A Taiwanese shipping vessel was seized at Cape Town Harbour for not following fishing regulations, the department of environmental affairs said on Saturday.
Spokesperson Carol Moses said the vessel Chien Jui, which has been at sea since November, entered Cape Town harbour last week with 100kg of shark fin, 2,2 tons of shark body cavities, and 1 900kg of tuna fish.
Moses said the skipper of the vessel had to apply for a permit, as with any vessel passing through a harbour. The permit was later approved.
"On the day that they permit was approved, authorities found 1.6 tons of dried shark fin on the vessel that had not been declared.
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"This meant that they were carrying shark fin over the five percent limit.
"The skipper also gave false information and contravened international fishing regulations by not having the equal amount of shark fins to shark body cavities."
Moses said the sharks and tuna fish were caught on the high seas in international waters, which was governed by international agreements by various countries.
"When vessels enter boundaries or harbours, they have to indicate what they have.
"The skipper of this vessel gave false information."
She said that while investigations were continuing, the skipper and his 30 crew members were not detained, but living on the vessel.
Moses said that charges would be formulated by Monday.
Meanwhile, the fish that had been confiscated was being stored.
If the skipper and the crew were found guilty, the fish would be sold and the proceeds would go towards the marine living resources fund, Moses said. - Sapa
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