The third Taiwanese fishing boat in 10 days was detained yesterday by the Japan Coast Guard in waters surrounding the Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, and released after paying a fine of more than ￥4 million (US$39,344).
James Sha (沙志一), director-general of the Fisheries Agency, yesterday called on Taiwanese fishermen to operate only within designated waters covered by the Taiwan-Japan fisheries accord.
Japan Coast Guard vessels have increased their patrols to crack down on illegal fishing since the accord took effect on May 10, which allows fishermen from both sides to work without interference in designated areas surrounding the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), known as the Senkakus in Japan.
The Fu Chang No. 168, a 46.29 tonne tuna long-line fishing boat registered in Nanfangau (南方澳), was arrested by a patrol ship from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at 2:10am yesterday, according to information published by the ministry.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Anna Kao (高安) said yesterday the boat with eight crew members, including the skipper, was released at 1:30pm.
The boat had been operating in waters off the Yaeyama Islands, she said.
Previously, the Cheng Chan Fa No. 2 was arrested on May 14 in waters south of Japan’s Sakishima Islands, Okinawa, followed by the Jui Ming Fa on Monday in waters south of the Yaeyama Islands.
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck about 33km off the coast of Hualien City was the "main shock" in a series of quakes in the area, with aftershocks expected over the next three days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Prior to the magnitude 5.9 quake shaking most of Taiwan at 6:53pm yesterday, six other earthquakes stronger than a magnitude of 4, starting with a magnitude 5.5 quake at 6:09pm, occurred in the area. CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) confirmed that the quakes were all part of the same series and that the magnitude 5.5 temblor was
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Central Weather Administration has issued a heat alert for southeastern Taiwan, warning of temperatures as high as 36°C today, while alerting some coastal areas of strong winds later in the day. Kaohsiung’s Neimen District (內門) and Pingtung County’s Neipu Township (內埔) are under an orange heat alert, which warns of temperatures as high as 36°C for three consecutive days, the CWA said, citing southwest winds. The heat would also extend to Tainan’s Nansi (楠西) and Yujing (玉井) districts, as well as Pingtung’s Gaoshu (高樹), Yanpu (鹽埔) and Majia (瑪家) townships, it said, forecasting highs of up to 36°C in those areas
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