Taiwan Today

A sport fishing boat from Taiwan was escorted to a Japanese island Sept. 14 for investigation of alleged illegal fishing, after a standoff between ROC and Japanese coast guard vessels. According to the Coast Guard Administration’s investigation, Formosa Chief No. 2 left Nanfangao Harbor Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., with captain Wang Wei-xin, crew member Liu Ming-ching and nine fishing tourists on board, intending to spend two days at sea. The Japan Coast Guard said on the afternoon of Sept. 13 the frigate Kunigami found the Formosa fishing in Japanese waters 9.2 nautical miles (roughly 17 kilometers) north of the Okidaito Island lighthouse, and so began pursuit. As soon as Wang saw the Japanese vessel, he began sailing away, though the Kunigami loudly broadcast messages for it to stop to be searched. When the Formosa crossed the dividing line into ROC waters, Wang radioed the Lanyang Fishery Radio Station for help. The CGA’s Maritime Patrol Directorate General received the call for help after 8 p.m. Sept. 13, giving the boat’s position as south of the Diaoyutai Islands (also known as the Senkaku Islands in Japanese) in ROC waters near the temporary dividing line between ROC and Japanese economic zones. For this reason, the MPDG believed the incident involved a fishing dispute in the Diaoyutai Islands, and so immediately dispatched the patrol boat Lianjiang to the scene. Two Japanese vessels outflanked the Formosa, forcing it to stop, and three armed guardsmen boarded and took control of the boat after 9 p.m. Sept. 13. At that time the MPDG did not know the Formosa had been chased from Japanese waters near Okidaito Island, and worked to prevent the Japanese from taking the boat and people aboard it, resulting in a standoff on the sea near Diaoyutai. Later both sides continued to put personnel aboard the Formosa and send vessels to the scene, until there were 18 Japanese and four Taiwan guardsmen on the boat, and five vessels from each side. During this period, continuous diplomatic negotiations were going on between the two sides. The Japanese were still in control of the Formosa, however, and maneuvered it toward Ishigaki Island, with the four ROC guardsmen on board. Another impasse ensued about 25 nautical miles north of Ishigaki Island on the morning of Sept. 14. Finally, when the Japanese provided evidence that the Formosa had illegally entered Japanese waters 9.2 nautical miles north of Okidaito Island, the situation was resolved. At 12:30 p.m. the CGA agreed to allow the Japanese to take the boat, captain and crew member to Ishigaki Island for questioning. (THN)