Fishermen held for poaching

Twenty-one Taiwanese fishermen have been arrested in separate operations by the Philippine coast guard and navy for illegally fishing in the country's northern waters, the foreign affairs department said yesterday. Victoriano Lecaros, a spokesman for the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs, said the fishermen were arrested in three separate incidents last week in the provinces of Cagayan and Batanes, 420km north of Manila. Lecaros told reporters that three Taiwanese fishing vessels were impounded by Philippine authorities. "According to the National Committee on Illegal Entrants, the cases will not be downgraded or pleaded to lower the charges," he said. "They [Taiwanese fishermen] could also face imprisonment or be imposed fines."