The Marshall Islands authorities say a Taiwanese vessel briefly detained by Palau amid suspicion of illegal fishing has not been licensed to fish in Marshalls waters.
Palau officials released the vessel, Yang Szu 232, after failing to prove that shark fins in its cargo were caught illegally in Palau waters.
They also said the ship was licensed to fish in Marshalls waters but an officials in Majuro says this is not true and the vessel is only listed in the Forum Fisheries Agency registry.
Palau has banned shark fishing while the Marshall Islands allows a Hong Kong-based company, Edgewater, to fish for sharks in its waters.
