Taiwan fishing boat crew detained in China released

Taipei, Aug. 13 (CNA) Four crew members of a Taiwanese fishing vessel detained by the Chinese authorities on July 2 were released Tuesday, but the captain and the boat remain detained with no confirmed release date due to ongoing legal issues, a former official said.

The released crew members, including a Taiwanese national surnamed Ting (丁) and three Indonesian nationals -- Ridho Nugroho, Iskandar, and Sendi Riyani -- departed from Quanzhou's Weitou Harbor on Tuesday morning, heading towards the median line of the Taiwan Strait, former deputy speaker of the Penghu County Council, Chen Shuang-chuan (陳雙全), told CNA.

Upon reaching the median line, the four individuals will be transferred to the "Da Jin Man No. 96" fishing boat, which is part of the same fleet as the "Da Jin Man No. 88," Chen said, adding that they are expected to arrive at Penghu County's Zhuwan Harbor on Tuesday evening, provided sea conditions are optimal.

"Da Jin Man No. 88," a Taiwanese fishing vessel registered in Penghu, was boarded and seized by the China Coast Guard east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay 17.5 nautical miles outside Taiwan-controlled "restricted waters" off the Kinmen Islands on July 2, according to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

The vessel, along with its Taiwanese captain, surnamed Hung (洪), and three Indonesian and one Taiwanese crew, were detained by the Chinese authorities for illegally fishing in Chinese territorial waters during a seasonal moratorium, the CGA said.

Chen said that the legal issues involving Hung and the fishing boat "Da Jin Man No. 88" need to be resolved before they can be released.

He added that the exact date of the captain's release remains uncertain, as the Fujian Provincial People's Government's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) has not yet reached a decision on the matter.

According to Chen, the release of the four crew members was the result of a consensus reached during a Monday meeting between Li Zhonghui, head of the Fujian TAO's Three Links and Coastal Office, former Taiwan Legislator Lin Pin-kuan (林炳坤), and himself.

Penghu County Council Speaker Chen Yu-Jen (陳毓仁), Penghu County Councilor Wu Cheng-chieh (吳政杰), Hung's daughter, and the owner of "Da Jin Man No. 88" also attended the Monday meeting with Chinese officials, Chen said.

The Taiwanese group, accompanied by officials from the Fujian TAO, visited Hung and the crew members in a guesthouse near Weitou Harbor before the four released individuals boarded a boat to the median line of the strait.

In a written reply to CNA, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that it is pleased to see the safe return of the four crew members, and expressed hope that the captain and fishing vessel can be released and returned to Taiwan as soon as possible.

The MAC added that both sides of the Strait have had their "own regulations and established procedures" to address the issue of fishing vessels illegally crossing boundaries for fishing activities for many years.

In similar law enforcement cases, both sides have long coordinated through appropriate channels on ways to expedite the release of relevant individuals after the completion of established procedures, and the case of "Da Jin Man No. 88" is "no different," the council said.

Meanwhile, China State Council's TAO spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) said that the four crew members were involved in minor violations and therefore do not face criminal charges and so were returned on Tuesday, while the captain, suspected of illegal fishing, remains under investigation.

Zhu said the Chinese authorities place great importance on protecting fishery resources and maintaining normal order in the relevant sea areas, with the China Coast Guard enforcing the law while safeguarding the legal rights of the crew involved.

The China Coast Guard also issued a statement, saying the Fujian Coast Guard Bureau conducted a "lawful inspection and detention" of a Taiwanese fishing vessel near the coast of Quanzhou on July 2, and launched an investigation into the vessel -- with five crew and 1,335 kilograms of catch on board -- for the suspected illegal harvesting of aquatic products.