"We are very serious about this. People who have permission to fish in our waters should observe our laws," said Billy Kuartei, chief of staff for the Palau president.

Palau, east of the Philippines, passed strict anti-sharking laws last year and has publicly burned the last two hauls of fins and shark bodies that it seized.

At the last bonfire in January, Palau authorities burned 180,000 US dollars worth of shark parts.

President Tommy Remengesau, who has made burning confiscated shark parts his administration's policy, said each bonfire sent the message to foreign fisherman that poaching sharks in Palau would not be tolerated.

The latest haul was taken from the Taiwanese vessel Yi Fong 68.

Palau customs found nearly 700 kilograms (1,540 pounds) of shark fins and 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of bodies on board after the vessel had fished in Palau for about two and half weeks, according to a statement released by the Palau Office of the Attorney General.

The catch could be worth more than 200,000 dollars.

The attorney general has filed a civil suit against Palau Marine Industries Corporation, who sponsored the vessel in Palau, seeking fines up to 500,000 dollars and forfeiture of the vessel, the statement said.

In Palau and across the globe, fishermen have increasingly targeted sharks for markets in Southeast Asia such as Hong Kong and Taiwan where the expensive dish of shark fin soup is widely popular.

In September, Palau passed a law banning shark finning, the practice of lopping off the valuable shark fins and tossing the shark body back in the water. Palau also took the additional step of banning shark fishing.

Marine biologists denounce shark finning because it wastes nearly the entire catch. But they also oppose fishing heavily for sharks because they are apex predators with slow reproductive cycles.

TERRA.WIRE