Taiwan, Japan agree on new fishing rules in waters near Yaeyama Islands

Taipei, Jan. 17 (CNA) Taiwanese fishing vessels face sanctions if their gear drifts 124 degrees three minutes east longitude eastward while operating in waters north of Japan's Yaeyama Islands, according to the latest agreement between Taipei and Tokyo.

In a press release issued on Friday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that during bilateral talks held in Tokyo earlier this week, both sides agreed to implement measures to prevent the gear of Taiwanese fishing vessels drifting 124 degrees three minutes east longitude eastward when operating in waters north of the Yaeyama Islands.

Fishing vessels reported to have violated the rule after prior warnings from authorities could face administrative sanctions, MOFA said in the statement, without specifying what those sanctions might entail.

Taipei and Tokyo have set 124 degrees east longitude within the the inverted triangle zone north of the Yaeyama Islands as a demarcation line, under the Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement signed in 2013 to address fishing rights in overlapping exclusive economic zones.

According to Friday's statement, Taiwan's Fishery Agency (FA) will collaborate with fisheries associations to develop a self-regulatory mechanism that prevents fishing gear from drifting 124 degrees two minutes east longitude eastward.

MOFA added that the Taiwanese delegation also called for negotiations on operational issues in other overlapping economic maritime areas during the three-day talks from Jan. 14 to Thursday.

The Taiwanese delegation was led by Fan Chen-kuo (范振國), secretary-general of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, and included officials from MOFA, the FA, and the Coast Guard Administration as well as representatives from local fisheries associations, the statement said.