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.
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