Govt Files 150-Count Suit Against Taiwan Fishing Firm

Palau Assistant Attorney General Christopher Hale this week filed a 150-count civil complaint against Palau International Traders Incorporated (PITI), a Taiwan-owned fishing company based in Palau. Each count, for failure to maintain Registry Status for tuna fishing boats licensed to fish in Palau, carries a penalty of up to $500,000 so the maximum exposure to PITI is about $75 million. Hale said in the filing that the government is seeking the maximum penalty...