The Mozambican government recently seized a Namibian ship containing tons of illegally fished shark parts. The seizure highlights the problem of foreign fishing vessels pirating the natural resources of other countries, and taking advantage of countries with insufficient monetary resources but rich natural resources. Countries such as Mozambique lack sufficient funding to enforce fisheries regulations or scientifically monitor their fisheries. According to Reuters South Africa, South Africa:

Noticias said fishing inspectors found 43 tonnes of sharks, four tonnes of shark fin, 1.8 tonnes of shark tail, 11.3 tonnes of shark liver and 20 tonnes of shark oil, all with an estimated value of $5 million on board the unlicensed ship.

Shark fins are an expensive delicacy in Asia, while shark liver and oil are used for medicinal purposes.

The Fisheries Ministry fined the ship’s owners $4.5 million, and confiscated the craft and all its contents, the paper said.

Illegal fishing is rife in Mozambique, which lacks the capacity to effectively monitor its high seas.

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