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Taiwan, Japan agree to emergency notification mechanism

ROC Central News Agency

09/02/27 23:25:35

By Lilian Wu

Taipei, Feb. 27 (CNA) The 16th round of fishery talks between Taiwan and Japan reached a consensus on several issues, including an agreement to set up an emergency notification mechanism to handle fishery disputes, an official of the quasi-official Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR) said Friday in Taipei.

Tsai Ming-yao, AEAR secretary-general, made the remarks after Friday's conclusion of this round of talks, the first since July 2005.

He said that both sides also agreed to set up a private consultation channel, with Taiwan's Provincial Fisherman's Association and Japan Fisheries Association acting as the organizations handling civilian cases, such as collisions at sea, the impounding of fishing vessels and the tangling of fishing nets.

He noted that Taiwan came to the negotiating table determined to safeguard the sovereignty of its territory and jurisdiction over its territorial waters.

"Both sides adopted a pragmatic attitude during the talks, " Tsai said, adding that the talks had "focused on how to mitigate fishery disputes between Taiwan and Japan and enhance information exchanges."

The talks did not touch on the sensitive issue of the disputed waters near the Tiaoyutai Islands, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, in the East China sea, Tsai said.

Both sides agreed that the fishery disputes should be handled in a rational and peaceful way without compromising the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between the two, he said.

"To continue to advance friendly bilateral ties and mutual trust and narrow the perception gap between the two, both sides also agreed to hold further consultations if needed," he added.

To efficiently handle a crisis, both sides agreed to set up an emergency notification mechanism, Tsai said, noting that such notification would normally pass through the AEAR and Japan Interchange Association.

But both sides agreed to set up other notification channels -- the Naha branch of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, and Japan's Fisheries Agency.

Taipei and Tokyo have held 15 rounds of fisheries talks since 1996, with the last round occurring in July 2005 in Tokyo, but sharp differences remain between the two countries.

In June last year, a Taiwanese recreational fishing boat, the Lienho, based in Taipei County, collided with a Japan Coast Guard (JCG) vessel in the disputed waters near the Tiaoyutai Islands.

The Lienho sank after it collided with the JCG patrol vessel that was allegedly trying to chase it out of the disputed Tiaoyutai waters.

The Taiwanese skipper and his two crew members were detained by Japanese authorities for questioning after they and 13 Taiwanese recreational fishermen who were on board the boat were rescued by the JCG officers.

The Taiwanese skipper accused the Japanese patrol of deliberately ramming his boat and demanded that Japan compensate him for the damage to his vessel.

The incident touched a raw nerve in the region, as the Tiaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea are claimed by Taiwan, China, and Japan.