Premier Jiang Yi-huah today reiterated the government's commitment to crack down on mainland Chinese fishing vessels trespassing in Taiwan-controlled waters and to reach a cross-strait fisheries agreement as soon as possible.
After being briefed by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on measures against encroaching mainland vessels, Jiang noted that fishing boats from the other side of the Taiwan Strait can easily stray into Taiwan's territorial waters with Kinmen and Matsu archipelagos sitting only a few thousand meters away from the Chinese mainland. Just recently, over a hundred mainland Chinese fishing boats trespassed into waters around Kinmen, severely undermining Taiwanese fishing operations.
Jiang requested the CGA to continue clamping down on the offenders and to join forces with the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the Council of Agriculture's (COA) Fisheries Agency and local governments to take punitive action to deter such behavior.
"Both the number of fishing boats detained and the fines imposed have been on the rise. However, such losses have only intensified those people's resistance against Taiwan's authority," said the premier.
Noting also that the coast guard and other agencies must enforce the law at considerable risk to their safety, Jiang asked CGA Minister Wang Ginn-wang to remind all members of the coast guard to take extra caution while on duty.
"Signing a fisheries agreement with mainland China could stabilize cross-strait fishing operations and promote maritime order," indicated the premier.
He instructed the MAC and the COA to assess the possibility of including the issue into semi-official negotiations between Taiwan and the mainland. Before such a pact can be concluded, the MAC should bring the matter to the attention of mainland officials so as to head off potential conflicts, he added.
The premier pointed to a fisheries agreement Taiwan signed with Japan in April 2013, which resolved disputes over fishing rights in the two nations' overlapping maritime exclusive economic zones near the Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea.
"Hopefully we can draw on that experience and reach a fisheries agreement with mainland China soon," said Jiang.
At the meeting, the CGA reported that the vessels frequently trespass into waters near Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu as well as three islets north of Keelung. Not only do these vessels threaten the security of Taiwan's waters, their method of bottom trawling has caused severe damage to local marine habitats and resources.
The CGA pledged to dispatch more frigates to patrol these areas and step up enforcement of regulations. Between January and September of this year, the CGA drove away 1,183 vessels, imposed administrative penalties on 542 vessels, and fined 225 ships a total of NT$39.1 million (US$1.3 million).
As reported in the media, more than a hundred mainland fishing boats recently intruded into waters near Kinmen and Penghu's Qimei area to harvest high-value seasonal fish such as redlip croaker and white pomfret. The CGA promptly responded with a suite of measures such as deploying service units, expanding crackdowns, dispatching support frigates, stationing special personnel, helping local authorities remove illegal fishing nets, and demanding mainland authorities to rein in their fishermen.
As a result, from October 3 through 20, the CGA drove away 453 mainland vessels from the area, levied administrative penalties on 15 vessels, assessed fines of NT$1.55 million (US$51,700), expelled nine sand dredgers, and dismantled 67 fishing nets totaling 2,140 meters in length.