Taiwan demands immediate release of fishing vessel, 6 crew members held by China

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration is calling on China to explain why it seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel, the Da Jin Man No 88, demanding to immediately release the vessel and its six crew members, Taiwan News reported on Wednesday.

A vessel registered in Penghu named Da Jin Man No 88 was boarded and seized by the Chinese coast guard on July 2. The ship was reportedly boarded about 20 km from a port in Fujian Province’s Jinjiang County in response to a summer fishing ban. The CGA said two Taiwanese and three Indonesians were on board.

According to CGA, the fishing vessel was about 10 km away from the province’s shores at the time of interception.

CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin stated that the agency received a report on Tuesday from the owner of a Taiwanese fishing boat that it had been intercepted by two Chinese coast guard vessels 43.89 km (23.7 NM) northeast of Liaoluo Port in Kinmen, as per Taiwan News.

The CGA dispatched the PP-10081 and PP-3505 patrol boats to aid the Da Jin Man No 88. The CGA also sent the PP-10039 for assistance.

The PP-10081 was intercepted by three Chinese coast guard ships at 9:14 pm (local time)

CGA demanded that China release a seized Taiwanese fishing boat, the Da Jin Man No 88. but the Chinese coast guard responded by urging them not to interfere

Further, the CGA detected four more Chinese coast guard ships converging on the scene. The Coast Guard was unable to get the fishing boat released and to avoid escalation decided to pull back.

According to Taiwan News, Hsieh said by 10:30 pm Tuesday, (local time) the Taiwanese fishing boat had been taken to Fujian’s Port of Weitou by the Chinese coast guard.

The boarding location was 20.74 km from Fujian’s town of Shenhu within Chinese territorial waters.

Hsieh pointed out that it is currently the fishing moratorium period in China. He said follow-up negotiations with the Chinese side will be handled through the Mainland Affairs Council and the Fisheries Agency.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said it will handle any future developments with the Fisheries Agency.