Taiwanese fishing vessels would face sanctions if their gear drifts eastward to 124° 3 minutes east longitude while operating in waters north of Japan’s Yaeyama Islands, according to the latest agreement between Taipei and Tokyo.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that both sides agreed to implement the measures during bilateral talks held in Tokyo earlier this week.
Fishing vessels reported to have breached the rule after prior warnings from authorities could face administrative sanctions, the statement said, without specifying what those sanctions might entail.
Photo: CNA
Taipei and Tokyo have set 124° east longitude within the inverted triangle zone north of the Yaeyama Islands as a demarcation line under the Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement, which was signed in 2013 to address fishing rights in the overlapping exclusive economic zones.
According to yesterday’s statement, the Fisheries Agency would collaborate with fisheries associations to develop a self-regulatory mechanism that prevents fishing gear from drifting eastward beyond 124° 2 minutes east longitude.
The Taiwanese delegation also called for negotiations on operational issues in other overlapping economic maritime areas during the three-day talks from Jan. 14 to Thursday, the ministry said.
The Taiwanese delegation was led by Fan Chen-kuo (范振國), secretary-general of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, and included officials from the ministry, the Fisheries Agency and the Coast Guard Administration, as well as representatives from local fisheries associations, the statement said.
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