Fishers’ responsibilities
In light of the recent incident of a Taiwanese fishing vessel intruding in Chinese maritime territory and being seized by the China Coast Guard, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yang Yao (楊曜) of Penghu County asked whether the Coast Guard Administration and the Fisheries Agency are aligned on the issues of operation zones and whether boundaries were violated.
Yao said that the Executive Yuan disregarded the safety of the fishers and that the main cause of them being detained was the fishers’ lack of knowledge about safe operating zones.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) asked China to empathize with the hard work of fishers and to release the vessel as soon as possible to avoid escalating the issue unnecessarily.
The Ministry of Agriculture in May issued information to promote awareness to the National Fishermen’s Association, Chen said, adding that the fishing vessel contravened China’s “fishing moratorium,” and the location of the seizure was in China’s territorial waters.
The China Coast Guard’s seizure of the vessel has triggered anxiety and public resentment. Some have even demanded that the government toughen up and fight back, or condemn China’s actions.
However, the Executive Yuan refused to take the bait, saying that the vessel strayed into Chinese territorial waters and contravened China’s fishing moratorium in the area.
Through this, the Executive Yuan has quashed any misguided attempt to politicize the situation, responded appropriately and taken the proper course of action.
Taiwan and China are independent of one another, each with their own territory and maritime space. As such, it is only right that both should avoid territorial intrusions and contraventions of each other’s laws and regulations.
Were China to intrude into Taiwanese territory and harm the rights and interests of Taiwan or fishers, the government should respond robustly and bring to bear the power of the state in the execution of its duties.
Conversely, if Taiwanese vessels intrude into China’s territory to fish, even if it is due to ignorance or the mistaken belief that they are operating within legal boundaries, the measures taken by the China Coast Guard should be respected.
This is the only way to maintain the spirit of equal justice and avoid an escalation.
Hopefully, fishers understand the situation and operate within the regulations.
Chi An-Hsiu
Taipei
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