• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Taiwan to continue negotiating fishing disputes with Philippines

ROC Central News Agency

2013/06/18 22:00:11

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) Taiwan said Tuesday that it will press on with negotiations with Manila on fishing issues to protect Taiwanese fishermen still vulnerable to arrest in waters claimed by both Taipei and Manila.

"We hope (our) fishermen will be able to operate in a safe environment," said Anna Kao, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We also hope to establish fishing order for fishermen from both sides."

Taiwan and the Philippines have begun talks on fishing rights in waters where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap that they hope will lead to a formal fisheries agreement.

Preliminary understandings were reached in the first meeting held on June 14, but Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Chairman Amadeo R. Perez Jr. said Monday that the Philippines would still seize and detain Taiwanese fishing boats that cross into its waters.

Establishing rules of the game in waters separating Taiwan and the Philippines gained urgency after the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by Philippine Coast Guard officers May 9 in waters about 40 nautical miles east of Balintang Island.

Manila has contended that the Taiwanese boat was poaching in its waters while Taipei argues that the boat was operating in Taiwan's exclusive economic zone.

In the June 14 meeting, the two sides reached an initial consensus on several issues, including not using force of violence to police fishing grounds, but they did not address the more sensitive issue of where Taiwanese fishermen can actually operate.

Both sides signed the minutes of the meeting, which, the ministry said, were an official document that is legally binding. According to the minutes, the two parties also agreed to jointly work on a mechanism that will enable both to notify each other in the event of a fishery incident.

The proposed mechanism will involve providing notification about incidents of chases, boarding and inspection of fishing boats, as well as the arrest and detention of fishermen.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said the consensus reached during the meeting will serve as the basis for future negotiations. Taiwan will also push the Philippines to put into practice the meeting's outcome as soon as possible, it added.

Kao said both sides will continue to negotiate fishing issues and discuss how to establish fishery cooperation and build a mechanism that will enable each side to notify the other in the event of an incident.

She also reiterated that the government will continue its efforts to protect Taiwanese fishermen and will do everything it can to seek justice for the family of Hung Shih-cheng, the fisherman who was killed in the Philippine attack.

In the wake of the May 9 incident, Taiwan demanded that the Philippines issue a formal apology, compensate Hung's family, punish those responsible for his death and begin fishery talks to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents.

The June 14 meeting was the first negotiations on fishery cooperation held by the two sides since the fatal shooting and was seen as a positive response from Manila to Taiwan's demand for fishery talks.

A second meeting is expected to be held in early July in Taipei and will cover defining areas in which fishermen can operate and establishing fishing guidelines to maintain order, said Benjamin Ho, director-general of the ministry's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

(By Elaine Hou)