The Coast Guard Administration confirmed yesterday that a Taiwanese fishing vessel was docked at Zhangzhou Port in China’s Xiamen City, but did not comment on reports that the boat had been involved in illegal activities.
Penghu-registered Da Jin Man No. 8 departed Taiwan’s Magong Harbor at noon on Monday with seven crew members aboard — three Taiwanese and four Indonesians — the coast guard said in a statement.
The vessel turned off its automatic identification system (AIS) shortly after departing and did not switch it back on until about 2am on Wednesday, it said.
Photo: Taipei Times
At that time, the boat was about 50 nautical miles northwest of Penghu — in international waters 13 nautical miles west of the Taiwan Strait median line — and was sailing toward Xiamen City, the coast guard said.
It issued the statement after the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported that the Taiwanese boat had appeared off the coast of Xiamen and had been escorted into Zhangzhou Port by a China Coast Guard ship.
Da Jin Man No. 8 might have been involved in the illegal sale of fuel to Chinese fishing vessels and intercepted at sea by the Chinese Coast Guard, the report said, citing sources in China.
The Coast Guard Administration did not respond to those allegations, saying that the boat owner and relatives of the crew members had no information about the situation.
It said it would continue to track the movements of the vessel and provide any necessary assistance.
Boats should keep their AIS on at all times for safety purposes, it said, adding that they can call the “118” hotline if they encounter emergencies at sea, so the coast guard could respond promptly.
The Mainland Affairs Council said that information from the coast guard indicated that the vessel was impounded by Chinese authorities, but its crew were safe.
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