Coast Guard nabs illegally harvested shark flesh
July 21, 2022Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) nabbed two multiday fishing vessels along with 14 fishermen in possession of illegally harvested Shark flesh, dried Shark fins and fish recently.
SLCG said they have seized seven common thresher shark flesh weighing about 214 kilos, shark flesh without fins weighing about 234 kilos, dried shark fins weighing about 3.8 kilos and dried shark fish weighing about 112 kilos from the fishing trawlers, while fishers were returning.
Coast Guard’s fishery monitoring and regulating duty staff at the Beruwala and Dikovita Fishery Harbours nabbed these items following information received, the SLCG revealed.
The Coast Guard also reiterated that retaining, transhipping, or landing ‘parts of any shark species’ is an offence under the Shark Fisheries Management (High Seas) Regulations, 2015.
Suspects along with the seized items were handed over to the Beruwala and Dikovita Fisheries Inspectors for onward legal proceedings, it added.
