SRI LANKA COAST GUARD APPREHENDED A FISHING VESSEL WITH ILLEGALLY HARVESTED SHARK PARTS

Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel deployed in the Wellamankara Fishery Harbor for fishery monitoring and regulating duties apprehended a Multiday Fishing Vessel along with six fishermen in possession of illegally harvested prohibited Shark fins and dried Sharks fish on 26^th Oct 2022 during on arrival searching formalities.

The apprehension was made while conducting onboard inspection in Multiday Fishing Trawler and found 159 Nos of Shark fins (approx. 1.3kg) and 76 Kg of dried Shark fish onboard when they returned after fishing. Retain, tranship, land, store or sell ‘parts of any Shark species’ is an offence as per the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources act 1996 No. 02 under regulation No 3.

The arrested personnel along with apprehended prohibited items were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector Wellamankara for onward legal actions.