Coast Guard expels 2 Chinese boats from Taiwan-controlled waters

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dispatched a patrol vessel and expelled two Chinese fishing boats that had entered Taiwan's prohibited waters near Dongsha Island on Thursday.

In a statement issued Friday, the CGA said that at around 11 a.m. Thursday, its Dongsha-Nansha Branch detected an unidentified boat around 15.5 nautical miles northeast of Dongsha Island, or about 5.5 nautical miles inside Taiwan's prohibited waters.

It then immediately informed the agency's 4,000-ton Yunlin patrol vessel to check the vessel, the CGA said.

At around 3 p.m., the CGA patrol vessel then found two Chinese fishing boats -- the Yue Hui Dong Yu 75066 (粵惠東漁75066) and the Jin Sha (金鯊) -- operating and fishing around 27 nautical miles east of Dongsha Island or 8 nautical miles inside Taiwan's restricted waters.

According to the CGA, the term "prohibited waters" refers to territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles around Taiwan proper, and varying distances around Taiwan's outlying islands.

"Restricted waters" refers to a contiguous zone, which states use to bolster their law enforcement capacity in the area just outside their territorial seas.

This contiguous zone extends 24 nautical miles around Taiwan proper, and varying distances around Taiwan's outlying islands.

For Dongsha Island, the distances of its prohibited and restricted water distances may be extend beyond the standard 12 and 24 nautical miles from the main island because they may be calculated out from small reefs near the main island.

The CGA said the Yunlin patrol vessel repeatedly issued warnings to the two Chinese fishing boats and asked them to leave. While the Yue Hui Dong Yu weighed anchor and sailed away, the Jin Sha refused to do so, according to the CGA.

After three unsuccessful attempts to warn the Jin Sha away via radio, the CGA said the Yunlin patrol vessel, abiding by the law, used its water cannon for 30 seconds about 200 meters away from Jin Sha but the attempt proved ineffective.

The CGA said the Yunlin patrol vessel gradually approached Jin Sha and sprayed water at the Chinese fishing boat for 90 seconds.

The Yunlin patrol vessel's decision to use low-lethal weaponry to drive the boats away from Taiwan-controlled waters was based on the Coast Guard's standard operating procedures, the CGA said.

According to the agency, the Yunlin patrol vessel later provided 35 hot meals to the Jin Sha's crew members at the Chinese fishing boat's request and then towed the Chinese fishing boat out of restricted waters and handed it over to a Chinese work vessel early Friday morning.

The CGA said it remained committed to its position of lawfully driving away Chinese fishing vessels that have crossed its borders, and that its mission to safeguard national maritime borders and carry out humanitarian assistance remained unchanged.

The CGA also urged China to prevent further illegal fishing activities in the area and protect marine resources.

Dongsha, which lies about 450 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and has around 300 CGA personnel stationed there, is one of two island groups controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea.

The other is Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, which lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and has about 200 Coast Guard personnel stationed there.