Taiwan coast guard seizes Chinese fishing boat near Penghu, detains 6 crew

Taipei, June 19 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has detained six crew members from an unnamed Chinese fishing vessel caught operating in restricted waters off a Penghu Islands islet, an official said Friday, adding that the group is being held while an investigation is ongoing.

The Chinese vessel was spotted operating 23.7 nautical miles west of Huayu -- the westernmost island of the Penghu archipelago -- at 7:23 p.m. Thursday, the CGA said Friday.

The Penghu Coast Guard fleet issued five radio and siren warnings to the fishing vessel, but the ship refused to stop for inspection and attempted to evade the authorities, prompting CGA personnel to deploy a smaller boat to chase it, the coast guard said in a news release.

CGA personnel intercepted and boarded the targeted vessel at 8:15 p.m. in waters 31 nautical miles west of Huayu, where they discovered six crew members and seized 750 kilograms of illegally caught fish, which were then dumped into the sea under Taiwanese law, it added.

Chen Fu-jung (陳富榮), spokesman for the Penghu-based CGA 8th Fleet, told CNA that the crew members were transferred to a Magong Harbor detention center.

The men face a CGA investigation under the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Chen added.

According to Chen, the incident marked the second time this year a Chinese fishing ship has been intercepted while trespassing and fishing in Taiwanese waters, following a similar incident in waters southwest of Penghu's Qimei Island in April.

Meanwhile, the CGA noted that the Chinese Coast Guard ship, Haijing 2102, appeared west of Penghu during its enforcement operation, ostensibly conducting a patrol. In response, the CGA deployed the frigate Lienchiang to track and monitor the Chinese vessel's movements.