Taiwan fishing boat captain indicted over dolphin poaching

Taipei, June 24 (CNA) The captain of a Taiwanese long-distance fishing vessel surnamed Wu (吳) has been indicted for instructing Indonesian crew members to slaughter dolphins for use as bait to catch sharks last year, the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office said Tuesday.

In a statement, the office said it concluded its investigation into the case on June 5 and concluded that Wu and seven foreign crew members had violated the Act on Wildlife Conservation by illegally hunting and slaughtering protected wildlife.

Prosecutors have formally indicted Wu, while granting deferred prosecution to the seven Indonesian fishermen, according to the statement.

While operating in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in June 2024, Wu instructed the seven Indonesian crew members he hired to catch and butcher two dolphins due to a lack of bait, prosecutors said.

Despite knowing that dolphins are classified as "second-grade" conserved, rare and valuable wild animals by the Ocean Affairs Council, Wu still ordered their capture using fishing gear, prosecutors added.

The dolphin meat was then used as bait to catch sharks and tuna, and the remaining carcasses and skin were discarded at sea, according to prosecutors.

The illegal act, documented and reported by Canadian authorities, was referred to Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture and then prosecutors.