An Indonesian migrant fisherman working on a Taiwanese fishing boat on Thursday has been missing following an alleged fight with a compatriot while at sea, the Tung Kang Fishermen Association of Pingtung County said.
The incident took place on Thursday afternoon, when the Ming Man Hsiang No. 38, registered in the county’s Liouciou Township (琉球), was 530 nautical miles (982km) northeast of Guam, the association said.
It said the man, who had worked as the ship’s cook, went missing after he was stabbed by his compatriot and pushed overboard.
The Taiwanese captain of the fishing boat, surnamed Ku (辜), asked for assistance from the Shun Man Fa No. 2, another Taiwanese fishing boat in the vicinity, to search for the stabbed fisherman, but both had failed to find him so far, the association said.
It remained unclear whether the fisherman was dead or alive.
The captain said he would continue to work with the Shun Man Fa No. 2 to search for the missing sailor.
When the incident happened, the captain and 11 Indonesian sailors were on board the Ming Man Hsiang No. 38, including the missing man and the suspect.
The suspect has been detained on the boat and was being closely monitored by other crew members, the association said.
The captain has reported the incident to the association and the Fisheries Agency at the Council of Agriculture.
The association cited the captain as saying that the detained fisherman, who had knife cuts on his arms, appeared to be in an emotionally unstable state, adding that the agency has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help finding a country nearby prepared to accommodate and take care of the suspect to prevent any risks.
The captain said that the Ming Man Hsiang No. 38, which remained at sea, lacked sufficient fuel to return to Taiwan, so the vessel would moor at the nearest port for refueling before heading home.
Officials said it was possible that the Criminal Investigation Bureau would dispatch a team to return the suspect to Taiwan for questioning, as it has done in similar cases.
The association later in the day reported that the Coast Guard Administration had sent its patrol vessel the Wei Hsing to where the fishing vessel is anchored to help it return to Taiwan.
The patrol vessel is scheduled to reach the fishing boat on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the agency has contacted neighboring countries with the help of the foreign ministry to ask for assistance in searching for the missing sailor.
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