Chinese fishing boat, crew released after paying fine for poaching

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) A Chinese fishing boat and its four crew members seized by Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) late last month in waters off a Taiwan-held islet was released after paying a fine of NT$300,000 (US$9,230) on Tuesday.

The unnamed and unregistered Chinese fishing boat was detained on June 26 after being caught operating illegally 19.5 miles northwest of the baseline of Taiwan-controlled Huayu in the Penghu archipelago on June 23, the CGA said.

The boat's catch of over 100 kilograms of fish was dumped into the sea on the spot, and the four crew members were taken to the CGA's Penghu branch for questioning.

The Chinese vessel was dispelled to the open sea after its legal representative paid the fine earlier Tuesday in compliance with the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

The matter was resolved within half a month, a move which has been widely viewed as a gesture of good faith toward Beijing.

Judging from the past practices, the CGA usually spends more than a month to deal with such issues.

Chinese authorities still hold a Taiwanese squid fishing vessel detained on July 2 for illegally operating in southern Fujian during the country's seasonal fishing moratorium.

Both the central and Penghu authorities have urged China to quickly release the Da Jin Man No.88 and its five-member crew -- two Taiwanese and three Indonesians.