SUN FLOWER7

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Authorities took action against reefer for illegal fishing

Authorities in Thailand and South Korea have taken action against the 'Sun Flower 7', suspected of engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. On March 9, 2023, the police in Bangkok prevented the reefer from unloading more than 4,000 metric tons (MT) of tuna worth an estimated USD 7.4 million. On May 10, South Korea’s Ministry of Fisheries subsequently fined the 'Sun Flower' USD 150,000, EUR 138,000) for very serious violations of the country’s distant-water fishing law, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). The Thai and South Korean governments accused the vessel of retrieving fish-aggregating devices (FADs) in the exclusive economic zone of Kiribati, where it did not have permission to fish. The Environmental Justice Foundation accused South Korea’s distant-water fleet of “a systemic lack of compliance with FAD regulations across the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.” In a recent report, EJF suggested the 'Sun Flower 7' was one of at least 10 South Korean vessels that have conducted illegal fishing in Kiribati and the high seas under the management of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.