The research project will provide valuable lessons for the crews working for Luen Thai. In 2013, authorities found about 50 shark fins on a Luen Thai boat off the Marshall Islands, and fined the company $120,000. They also destroyed the offending boat. A Luen Thai executive, Derrick Wang, says the company hasn’t violated any shark finning regulations since and has instituted policies to penalize any of its captain and crew for as much as $20,000 for keeping sharks and cutting the fins off for sale on the black market.

Photograph: Jonne Roriz