Nauru bans transhipments to tackle overfishing in wake of Greenpeace bust

Vessels will no longer be allowed to pass their catch to 'motherships', an operation the Pacific island says is a major threat to its domestic industry

The Nauru government has banned transhipments - a controversial practice linked to chronic overfishing at sea - after what it said was an "illegal operation" by a Taiwanese ship caught near its waters by Greenpeace last week.

The crackdown on vessels unloading their catch to "motherships" at sea, enabling them to stay and plunder ocean fishing grounds for years at a time, would help "end the laundering of fish" by high seas "pirates", the Nauru Fisheries and Marine Resources Authority (NFMRA) said.