The Penghu District Court on Friday ordered the detention of 28 Chinese nationals, following their arrest for illegal sea sand dredging in Taiwanese waters, the Coast Guard Administration said on Saturday.
The dredging was discovered on Thursday in shallow coastal waters known as the Taiwan Bank during a joint patrol by the coast guard and the Penghu County Government.
Authorities detained a dredging ship and a transporter, along with 28 Chinese crew members, including the vessels’ captains, surnamed Lu (陸) and Kang (康), the coast guard said.
Photo courtesy of the Penghu Coast Guard
The Penghu District Court ordered the 28 held incommunicado — the largest such detention in the county’s history — on suspicion of violating the Sand and Gravel Excavation Act (土石採取法) and the Act on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the Republic of China (中華民國專屬經濟海域及大陸礁層法).
China’s construction boom, as well as a coastal mining ban, have fueled an explosion in demand for sand, which is a key element in making concrete.
Despite an uptick in intrusions by Chinese vessels in the past few years, Penghu County Commissioner Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉) said the detention of the 172m transporter was a first for the nation.
The county government would seek the maximum fine of NT$500,000 to deter future violations and plans to establish a system for preventing illegal sea sand dredging, Lai said.
The area where the dredging was discovered is about 30 nautical miles (55.5km) southwest of Cimei Township (七美) and is the habitat and breeding ground for many species vital to Penghu’s fishing industry.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College