A Taiwanese boat was seized by the Chinese coast guard for illegal fishing in its territorial waters on Tuesday night.
A Taiwanese fishing boat, the Tachinman 88, was detained by Chinese authorities. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, approximately 25 nautical miles west of the median line, near Kinmen's Liaoluo Port.
According to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Deputy Director Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽), the vessel was approached by Chinese fishing boats, photographed, and then boarded and inspected by the Chinese coast guard during China's annual summer-time fishing ban in what Chinese authorities claim their territorial seas.
CGA official Liao Yun-hong (廖雲宏) said upon receiving a distress call from the Tachinman 88 at 8:14 PM, the CGA immediately dispatched two patrol vessels. However, they were outnumbered by seven Chinese coast guard ships that had converged on the scene. To avoid escalating tensions, Taiwanese patrol boats ceased pursuit as the fishing vessel was forced into Jinjiang City's waters.
By 10 PM, the Tachinman 88 and its crew of five - including one Taiwanese captain, one Taiwanese crew member, and three Indonesian workers - were taken to Quanzhou City's Weitou Port. The CGA has called on China to refrain from political manipulation and promptly release the vessel and its crew.
This incident marks the 18th case of a Taiwanese fishing boat being inspected and detained by Chinese authorities since 2003, with many occurrences linked to China's summer fishing moratorium. The CGA continues to monitor the situation and work towards the safe return of the vessel and its crew.