The Coast Guard Administration seized a Chinese fishing boat that had illegally entered Taiwan’s waters Friday. The vessel was found just 1.8 nautical miles off the coast of Hsinchu County. While trying to escape from the coast guard, the ship collided with a patrol boat and damaged it. The fishing vessel had 17 crew members and 20,000 kilograms of fish onboard, but a search for contraband turned up empty. The coast guard dumped the catch into the sea and detained the crew. Let’s hear from the coast guard.
Tseng Chun-yu
Coast Guard Administration
We used skills we gained in previous boarding incidents. We put on protective gear and boarded the vessel. But as we were doing it, their vessel collided with our patrol boat. After we brought everyone back to port, we detained the Chinese crew and reported the matter to prosecutors so that they face the relevant penalties for obstructing law enforcement.
According to the Coast Guard Administration, between January and August this year, 515 Chinese fishing vessels have been driven out of Taiwan’s waters. In that same period, 15 Chinese fishing vessels were seized. In this latest episode, the vessel will be detained by the relevant agency for one month, and violators will be issued a fine of NT$2.4 million. In addition, the crew may also be charged with obstructing law enforcement.
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