Tuvalu arrests Chinese tuna longliner with Sea Shepherd aid

On 9 July, Tuvalu police intercepted the Chinese tuna longliner Lu Rong Yuan Yu in Tuvalu’s exclusive economic zone. Using the Sea Shepherd‑owned vessel Allankay, the police boarded the vessel after detecting a suspicious AIS signal that appeared to be a spoof. The crew was found discarding illegally caught shark fins and holding tuna without proper records.

Sea Shepherd’s chief campaigns officer Captain Peter Hammarstedt said the partnership filled a law‑enforcement gap after Tuvalu’s patrol boat Te Mataili II was destroyed by cyclones in 2023. Transport Minister Simon Kofe praised the NGO’s assistance in a public statement. The incident underscores concerns about Chinese distant‑water fishing fleets operating with falsified AIS data and highlights a model where small island states rely on conservation NGOs for maritime enforcement.

The arrest marks a rare collaboration between a Pacific nation and an environmental NGO to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.