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Taiwanese skipper denies poaching in Australian waters

The skipper of the Kaohsiung-based fishing boat Shuen Man No. 168, which has been impounded in Brisbane since Thursday over suspected poaching, reportedly said yesterday that the vessel unwittingly trespassed into Australia's economic zone.

In a telephone conversation with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official based in Brisbane, Hsu Yun-liang (許允良), skipper of the 35m vessel, said it came as a complete surprise to learn that his ship had been operating in Australian waters.

Liao Lieh-ming (廖烈明), a department chief with Taiwan's representative office in Brisbane, who talked to Hsu by telephone yesterday morning, said that Hsu denied that his ship was poaching in Australia's territorial waters.

"It was an accidental incident," Liao quoted Hsu as saying, adding that none of the 15 crew members aboard the Shuen Man No. 168 sustained any injuries.

Liao said the crew members would be flown to a detention center in Darwin after they finish health checks. It is uncertain how long the crew -- including a second Taiwanese officer, nine Indonesians and four Chinese -- will be detained as investigations proceed.

Liao said that the foreign ministry was in contact with the crew and that it told them all necessary assistance would be provided.

Media reports said that Australian customs authorities intercepted the Shuen Man near the country's east coast on Thursday after suspecting it of illegal fishing.

The vessel was boarded by Australian customs officials 258 nautical miles (478km) north of Lord Howe Island and 65 nautical miles inside Australia's exclusive economic zone, the reports said.
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