PALIKIR, Pohnpei—Citypro Management Ltd (“CML”) is a permit holder and the owner of the Queen Isabella 88, whom the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has brought a criminal and civil complaint against. Queen Isabella 88 was built in 2016 in Chinese Taipei, and has been criminally charged and civilly sued in the FSM Supreme Court.
The Queen Isabella 88, her Captain, Wu Ming Kuo, her Master, Hsiu-Sheng Lai, her Chief Engineer, Park Min Gyu, her Assistant Engineer, Yoon Sung Tae, and the company, CML, have been criminally charged for the removal of shark fins, misreporting, and mishandling of whale shark, which is in violation of 24 F.S.M.C §115(1)(a)(iv), 24 F.S.M.C §906, and 24 F.S.M.C §913(2) and 24 F.S.M.C §913(4).
In the civil case, the vessel Queen Isabella 88, her Captain, Wu Ming Kuo, her Master, Hsiu- Sheng Lai, her Chief Engineer, Park Min Gyu, her Assistant Engineer, Yoon Sung Tae, and the company, CML, have been civilly sued for violating the Permit Conditions by misreporting her catch contrary to 24 F.S.M.C §115(1)(a)(iv), for violating the Access Agreement, Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) 2019-04 and supplemental CMM, for violating the Access Agreement contrary to 24 F.S.M.C §906(1)(a)&(c) and 24 F.S.M.C §115(a)(iv), for violating the Access Agreement, Permit Conditions, WCPFC Guidelines and Supplemental CMM contrary to 24 F.S.M.C §913(2), and for violating the Access Agreement, Permit Conditions, WCPFC Guidelines and Supplemental CMM contrary to 24 F.S.M.C §913(4).
On July 9 , 2021, the FSM Supreme Court entered an Order authorizing and directing the Clerk of Court to issue Warrant of Arrest for Vessel Queen Isabella 88, which the Clerk of Court issued on the same day.
The FSM National Police executed the arrest and seizure of Queen Isabella 88 on July 10 , 2021 at around 11:30 a.m. along with her Captain, Master, Chief Engineer and Assistant Engineer. Queen Isabella 88 is currently anchored at the Anchorage Area and under Surveillance watch.
The Court has yet to set any hearing on this matter. The FSM National Government anticipates one during the week of July 12 , 2021.
