Eight Taiwanese fishers from Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) are expected to be released soon after an agreement was reached yesterday between the Taiwanese and Japanese authorities after the fishers’ boat was boarded and detained by Japan Coast Guard officers for allegedly entering the coastal waters off Japan’s Yonaguni Island.
The Yilan-registered Fu Shen fishing vessel was intercepted by a Japan Coast Guard vessel at about 4pm on Sunday.
Taiwan Fisheries Agency officials yesterday said that an agreement had been reached following talks between both countries’ foreign affairs representatives.
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The fishers would be released soon after the fishing vessel’s owner paid a ￥1.5 million (US$9,749) fine, the agency said.
The talks were conducted by officials from the Naha branch office of Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Japan. Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, which administers its southern Yaeyama Islands, including Yonaguni Island.
Suao Fishermen’s Association director Chen Chun-sheng (陳春生), said there needs to be verification on whether the boat was fishing within Japan’s coastal waters, or just passing through with the “right of innocent passage,” which is reserved for vessels moving through territorial waters in a manner that does not threaten the security of the coastal state.
If it was passing, “we must demand that our government uphold the rights of Taiwanese fishers, and request that the Japanese side conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.
“However, if the Fu Shen did engage in illegal fishing, then let us apply the existing regulations and the normal procedures to handle this matter. Our association is to work together with Taiwan’s foreign affairs office in Naha City to secure their release, to help the crew members and the boat to return home safely,” Chen said.
The Fu Shen left Nanfangao Harbor (南方澳漁港) at about 10pm on Saturday, and was about 40 nautical miles (74km) off Suao when it was approached by the Japan Coast Guard vessel, Chen said, adding that the dispute might be over a difference of opinion on whether the boat had entered the 12 nautical miles zone that marks Japan’s territorial waters, as Yonaguni Island lies 58 nautical miles off Taiwan’s Yilan County.
The Fu Shen was seen illegally fishing inside Japan’s territorial waters, the Japan Coast Guard said.
After the crew members ignored a request to stop, Japan Coast Guard officers boarded the boat to detain the crew members, it added.
The detained crew members were taken to Ishigaki Island, the commercial hub of the Yaeyama Islands, while an investigation was conducted, the Japanese authorities said.
The Coast Guard Administration has dispatched a Yilan-class patrol vessel to the Yaeyama Islands to repatriate the detained boat and the Taiwanese crew.
Additional reporting by Chen Chia-yi
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