The court has case against 200 mile EEZ for tuna fishing ground at Marshall Islands. The court denied for the summary judgment for the vessel that was seized for illegally fishing inside the US Exclusive Economic Zone in the South Pacific Ocean. Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood ordered the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Daniel J. Berman, the lawyer of Marshalls 201, to submit a new proposed scheduling order to the court.
Berman argued on behalf of the Marshall Islands Fishing Company (MIFCO) that the United States lacks the legal authority to claim and enforce a 200-mile exclusive economic zone around Baker and Howland Islands. The arrest of the fishing vessel triggered protests from the local island leaders. MIMRA opined that the vessel was straddling an area near the EEZ boundary between the United States and Kiribat.
Marshall Island leaders argued that there is no agreement between the United States and Kiribati regarding this boundary. They said that the Marshalls 201 is permitted to fish within the Kiribati EEZ but is not licensed to fish within the United States EEZ. The US Coast Guard said that they seized the vessel for illegal fishing inside the U.S. EEZ. The Marshalls 201 is carrying an estimated 500 metric tons of skipjack tuna valued at about $350,000, informed Coast Guard official.
