TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency on Tuesday refuted Greenpeace’s allegations that Taiwanese vessels engaged in illegal shark fishing in a designated no-fishing zone in the North Pacific in August.
Greenpeace reported four Taiwan-flagged vessels fishing for sharks Aug. 4-10. The organization identified this activity as occurring within a seasonal no-fishing zone established to protect juvenile sharks, per CNA.
The group claimed that at least 39 sharks, including the endangered shortfin mako, were caught during more than 10 hours of observation. Greenpeace argued the sharks accounted for the majority of the catch, suggesting the fishing was intentional rather than incidental bycatch.
In response, the Fisheries Agency clarified that the area cited by Greenpeace is a voluntary restriction area established by Taiwan for conservation purposes. It is not subject to international fishing bans.
Since 2021, selected vessels have been permitted to operate in the area on a trial basis under strict conditions to collect scientific data that informs Taiwan’s shark management policies in the Western and Central Pacific.
The agency acknowledged that some stakeholders in the fishing industry have called for lifting the seasonal closure. In line with regional fisheries management guidelines, the agency has adopted additional measures, including a “fins naturally attached” policy and requirements for full utilization of shark catches.
Fishing in the area is temporarily allowed for vessels targeting seasonal shark catches, provided they comply with international conservation standards.
The agency stated it would maintain current regulations unless scientific evidence confirms the area functions as a shark nursery. Additional restrictions would be considered only if mandated by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Huang Hsin-yi (黃馨儀) criticized the agency for a lack of enforcement, noting that despite the 24-hour monitoring center in 2017, no penalties were issued for seasonal shark fishing violations between 2017 and 2025. She warned that such inaction could damage Taiwan’s international reputation.
Huang urged the agency to strengthen oversight, including conducting systematic inspections and making vessel tracking data publicly available for third-party monitoring. She also advocated for adopting an electronic observer system to detect illegal activities in real time, in line with global best practices.
The agency confirmed that Taiwan complies with international bans on certain shark species enforced by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. It has also voluntarily banned the capture of several vulnerable species, including whale sharks, basking sharks, megamouth sharks, and great white sharks.
To monitor its distant-water fleet, the agency uses both the Electronic Logbook system and the Vessel Monitoring System to track catch data and vessel movements. However, Deputy Director Lin Ting-jung (林頂榮) stated that individual vessel tracking data is considered commercially sensitive and thus not suitable for public release.
Lin added that the agency is currently evaluating the feasibility of implementing an electronic observer system.
