Japan Seeks To Block Sea Shepherd Protection For Palau Shark Sanctuary

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Looks like Japan is about to spend even more cash to stymie conservation efforts by Sea Shepherd.

In a bizarre move that reeks of spite from this year’s earlier failed whale hunt, Japanese officials have proposed a counteroffer to a Sea Shepherd plan to help patrol the Palau marine area; designated as the world’s first shark sanctuary. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Pacific nation and the conservation org last month – with the condition that the SSCS would help curb illegal shark fishing in the sanctuary on their own dime.

The exclusion zone covers 240,000 square miles of the northern Pacific.

According to the AFP, the Palau government is said to now be reconsidering Sea Shepherd’s offer after a high-level Japanese delegation weighed in on the decision – calling the group “terrorists”. The official said the Japanese are willing to send their own patrol boat to help enforce the zone.

As Japan is a major trading partner for Palau, I think we know where this one is headed. But considering their role in catching annually some 25,000 tonnes of sharks (9th worldwide), it’s laughable that they’ll be more effective at enforcing the sanctuary than Sea Shepherd. For the conservation org, this is serious – but for Japan, it’s just politics fueled by scorn.

photo credit: Palau President Toribiong, Captain Watson, and Steve Roest at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.