Taiwan sent coast guard vessels to disputed waters in the East China Sea where Japan arrested a Taiwanese skipper, accusing him of illegal fishing, officials on both sides said yesterday.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said it had dispatched five patrol boats to the area, 110 nautical miles (200km) east of Taiwan, after Japanese officials said they were holding the skipper for questioning.
The incident began late on Sunday, when the Formosa Chieftain No 2, a 49-tonne sports fishing boat, was accosted by Japanese maritime vessels over allegations of fishing illegally, the administration said.
The skipper declined the Japanese officials’ request to board his vessel, arguing he believed he was operating in Taiwanese waters, the CGA said.
The Japanese coast guard said it arrested the 44-year-old skipper on suspicion of violating Japan’s fishing law by being within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
His boat was carrying one crew member aside from Wang and nine fishing tourists, Japanese authorities said.
The CGA said that while it had sent five vessels to the area, a flotilla of five Japanese maritime vessels was also involved.
After negotiations, the Japanese side agreed to release the tourists, who were expected to return to Taiwan later yesterday, while the skipper and the crew member were being questioned on Japan’s southern Ishigaki island.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Shuai Hua-min (帥化民) urged the government to file a strong protest to Japan.
“The Japanese coast guard had no right to board the fishing boat as Taiwanese law enforcement officials were present,” he said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) called for restraint in handling the incident.
“Priority should be given to safety of the people and the boat,” he said.
Taipei and Tokyo have held 14 rounds of negotiations on fishing disputes since 1996 without reaching any agreement yet.
The East China Sea is the scene of several disputes between Taiwan, Japan and China, which all claim the chain of islets known as the Diaoyutai (釣魚台) in Chinese and the Senkaku in Japanese.
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