Voyage data recordings from Taiwan fishing boat Guang Da Xing No. 28 confirm that the vessel did not enter Philippine territorial waters, according to Pingtung District Prosecutors Office May 21.
“The boat’s VDR was operating normally with records taken every three minutes from the time of departure at 3:42 a.m. May 4 to docking at Pingtung County’s Xiaoliuqiu Island at 3:30 a.m. May 11,” a prosecutor said.
The official made the remarks following the release of records by the Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture the same day.
A Fisheries Agency official said the boat first sailed toward Xingang Harbor in eastern Taiwan’s Taitung County, before heading south-south-east to a position 20 degrees north latitude and 123 degrees east longitude.
The boat’s most distant point travelled was between 19 degrees north latitude 50 minutes and 20 degrees 10 minutes, while its east latitude was between 122 degrees 48 minutes and 123 degrees 25 minutes.
“These locations of the vessel indicate that it stayed at all times in the ROC exclusive economic zone.”
The prosecutor said his agency is willing to assist the Philippines with its Taiwan-based investigation, and hopes Manila can furnish relevant evidence in a timely manner to help ascertain the truth. (KML-JSM)
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