By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
AIRAI, Palau — “Over the years we know of many instances when such products are taken out of Palau, but we had no way of stopping such practices,” Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Minister Steven Victor said as he announced new measures to enforce laws against exporting prohibited marine products.
Under Republic of Palau Public Law 10-54, no marine products from Palau’s internal waters or territorial sea may be exported. The ban covers reef fish, clams, lobsters, sea cucumbers and other species that are central to Palau’s fragile marine ecosystems and traditional food security.
For years, officials have struggled to curb the illegal transport of fish and shellfish, often carried off-island in coolers as checked baggage. Such practices not only deplete local stocks but also undermine Palau’s efforts to protect its marine resources, which are vital to cultural traditions, community subsistence and the tourism industry.
To address the problem, the Bureau of Fisheries will now inspect all coolers and boxes checked in at the airport. Passengers must obtain an official seal confirming their baggage has been cleared before airlines accept it. The agreement applies to United Airlines, which also manages check-in for Qantas Airlines and China Air.
“Exporting or attempting to export such marine products is illegal,” Victor said, noting that the ministry is also coordinating with the Ministry of Justice to assign a police officer at the airport to oversee compliance.
The new checks are aimed at preventing the illegal shipment of fish, shellfish and other marine products, which officials say has been a longstanding problem.
