Taiwan asks China for information on seized fishing boat crew

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Taiwan's top China affairs official said Thursday the government has asked Beijing to provide information, through Taiwan's semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), on the crew of a Taiwanese fishing boat detained when their vessel was seized and escorted to a port in Fujian by the Chinese coast guard Tuesday.

Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said at a regular news conference that the MAC has asked the SEF, which manages cross-strait technical and business affairs, to contact its Chinese counterpart -- the Association for Relation Across the Taiwan Straits -- and ask Chinese authorities to provide information on the incident and the processing of the crew.

Meanwhile, the MAC is also calling for the immediate release of the Penghu-registered Da Jin Man No.88 and its two Taiwanese and three Indonesian crew in accordance with relevant regulations and procedures, according to Chiu.

Chinese authorities reported on Wednesday the Taiwanese boat was held on suspicion of "illegal fishing" off the coast of Quanzhou in Chinese territorial waters and in violation of China's closed season for fishing.

To prevent possible further breaches of China's closed fishing season regulations and protect the safety and rights of Taiwanese fishermen, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and Fisheries Agency have called on Taiwanese fishermen to avoid entering disputed waters China claims for operations during the fishing moratorium in China, according to Chiu.

Chiu also said the government will do its utmost to help the seized Taiwan-registered fishing vessel and its crew return home safely by using different channels in an effort to communicate with Beijing over the matter.

Asked whether the seizure of the Da Jin Man No.88 is related to an incident in February, when a Chinese speedboat pursued by Taiwan Coast Guard personnel for illegally entering Taiwan-controlled waters capsized near the Kinmen Islands, resulting in two deaths, Chiu said the incident is still being investigated and the government will use the results of the investigation as a foundation for negotiations with China.

Meanwhile, former legislator Lin Ping-kun (林炳坤) from Penghu, who the family members of the seized Taiwanese crew have asked to talk to China on their behalf through relevant channels, said the incident was the simple illegal operation of a fishing boat, and China should deal with it by issuing a fine for violating fishery and other laws instead of politicizing the matter.

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