A senior military official yesterday denied a media report that the navy would dispatch a fleet to protect Taiwan’s long-line fishing boats off the coast of Somalia by the end of this month, but said the navy was capable and had prepared for such a mission.
Deputy Minister of National Defense Chao Shih-chang (趙世璋) made the remarks at a joint committee meeting at the legislature.
TV station TVBS reported yesterday that following attacks on Taiwanese long-line fishing vessels by pirates, the National Security Council (NSC) had coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense to dispatch a fleet to protect Taiwan’s fishing boats in the Indian Ocean off Somalia by the end of this month.
The TVBS report added that a couple of Lafayette-class warships and a Wu Yi-class fleet oiler would head to the Indian Ocean, and that a Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigate could also join the fleet.
Asked to comment by legislators across party lines, Chao said the report was not correct.
“The military has the capability and has prepared to carry out such a mission, but the military follows the government’s policy and needs to listen to opinions from the NSC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Chao said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) told the meeting that unlike most merchant vessels sailing fixed routes, fishing vessels moved with groups of fish, therefore guarding fishing boats could be difficult.
Lin asked what the navy would do if countries without diplomatic relations with Taiwan agreed to allow Taiwanese vessels to resupply at their ports, but asked that they lower their national and ship flags while doing so.
Lin said there were questions as to whether returning ships could be replaced by another fleet to ensure year-long protection.
Taiwanese fishing boats were attacked by pirates in 2007 and again in April 2009, when two fishing boats were hijacked.
In October last year, another fishing boat was seized off the coast of Somalia.
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