France's top administrative court has dismissed an appeal by a Chinese ship owner who was ordered in April by a court in Tahiti to remove their stranded ship from a reef in French Polynesia.
The Shen Gang Shun 1, owned by Shenzhen Shengang Overseas Industrial, ran aground on the reef of Arutua atoll in March.
Shen Gang Shun 1 stuck on reef of Arutua Photo: supplied
The captain and crew, who were rescued by helicopter from the vessel, left the fishing boat.
During an initial salvage operation, a large number of dead sharks were found on board.
This led to a complaint by environmental groups because the possession or transport of shark meat within French Polynesia is illegal.
Most of the ship's 250 tonnes of fuel, 15 tonnes of fish and 62 tonnes of bait has been removed.
However, the wreck of the Shen Gang Shun 1 is still lying on the reef of Arutua atoll after attempts to refloat it failed.