An Ecuadorean fishing boat was caught with illegally-caught sharks in Colombian waters, local media reported Tuesday.
The Colombian Navy said it had boarded the vessel, “Siempre El Titan,” and discovered illegally-caught white fish and two sharks. The boat and its three-person crew were taken to Buenaventura, Colombia’s main Pacific port.
The crew members have been charged with violating Colombian borders in order to illegally obtain natural resources. Five other illegal fishing vessels had been caught last week, said the Navy.
Colombia and Costa Rica created a joint task force last Thursday, in a effort to combat illegal fishing and shark finning.
Shark finning is the practice of cutting off sharks’ fins, after which the fish are normally left to die in the water. The fins, considered a delicacy, are sold to Asian markets at up to $350 per lb.
The last time an Ecuadorian vessel was captured in Colombian waters was October of last year.
