November 3, 2003

 

 

Taiwan & Vietnam Disputes Over Poaching of Vietnamese Fishing Vessels to Tap Into Abundant Fishery Resources

 

Taiwan's coast guard patrols have never violated Vietnam's sovereignty while protecting the country's fishery resources around the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, an official with the Cabinet-level Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday.

 

The official commented the above in response to a foreign wire service report that Vietnam warned Taiwan a day earlier to stop infringing on its sovereignty by driving away Vietnamese fishing boats near the Nansha Islands, also known as the Spratly Islands.

 

According to the report, a spokesman for the Vietnamese foreign ministry said that recent acts by Taiwan in waters off the archipelago were "counter to the common trend of peace, stability and development in the region."

 

The official replied by saying that CGA patrols only drove away foreign fishing boats operating illegally in those areas under the nation's jurisdiction and didn't violate the sovereignty of other countries.

 

He also voiced the hope that the Vietnamese government will call on their fishermen to refrain from intruding into the protected area some 6km off the country's coast.

 

Attracted by rich fishing grounds around the Spratly group, a growing number of Vietnamese fishing vessels have been found poaching in territorial waters in the region, according to the official.

 

A total of 22 Vietnamese fishing boats intruded into Taiwan's territorial waters and were expelled by CGA patrols between February and October.

 

In October alone, 11 Vietnamese boats were found poaching with poison or explosives in the protected area, with the coast guard confiscating 101kg of dynamite, the official said.

 

The Nansha Islands have strategic importance and the coast guard has an outpost on Taiping Island. Some facilities on the island include a radar station, meteorological center and power plant.

 

In addition to Taiwan, several other countries such as Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and China also claim the Spratly Islands, which has abundant fishing, mineral and petroleum resources. The islands also flank international shipping lanes.