A Marshall Islands-flagged Taiwanese purse seiner has paid US$2 million in fines and a donation to the Kiribati government for illegally fishing in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area.
According to Radio Kiribati, information from the Vessel Monitoring System confirmed the purse seiner had fished along the borderlines to the South-West of the protected zone and also entered it near McKean Island.
A report from Phoenix Islands Protected Area says the vessel was pursued for four days before being arrested by Kiribati's only patrol boat RKS Teanoai.
The Marshall Islands-based Central Pacific Fishing Company, which owns the vessel, has also made a goodwill arrangement with the Kiribati government and agreed to pay an additional US$1 million as a form of grant.
