Posted on: Thursday, April 18, 2002

Shark-fin cargo in limbo

Advertiser Staff

The 30 Chinese crew members own the 2.6 tons of shark fins held inside the Full Means 2, attorneys for the crew and owner of the fishing vessel said yesterday.

The Taiwanese-owned vessel came to Honolulu after the ship's captain and first mate were stabbed to death last month. The ship's cook, charged with the murders, is being held without bail.

Jay Friedheim, lawyer for the crew, said the shark fins valued at $260,000 are the property of the crew members. Bryan Ho, the attorney representing the owner, FCF Fishery Co. of Taiwan, agreed, saying the fins were never claimed by the ship's owner and the owner understood that the crew members caught the sharks independently of their regular fishing duties.

Friedheim also yesterday said he wanted to ask a federal judge permission to remove the shark fins from the ship so the crew could sell them overseas. However, under federal law, shark fins cannot be sold or transferred to another ship while in the United States.

The ship was ordered to stay in port by a federal judge on April 8 because the owner could not guarantee payment of more than $200,000 in wages claimed by 30 crew members. Friedheim has since added one more person to the claim, bringing the total to 31.

Ho said the owner wants to get the ship back fishing as soon as possible. Ho said he offered Friedheim a letter of credit from a Chinese bank to post with the court so the boat can go fishing, and Friedheim told him he's considering it.

The crew members are also in federal custody as critical witnesses for the defense and prosecution in the case against the cook.