TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Japanese authorities on Friday (July 5) offered two choices to Taiwanese fishing vessels entering Japanese waters: pay fines based on vessel size, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands, or proceed to Fukuoka for legal processing. The incident highlights ongoing tensions in disputed fishing areas.
Early Friday morning, Japanese fisheries officials boarded and detained the Keelung-registered Fu Yang No. 266 fishing boat (福洋266號), which was 288 nautical miles northeast of Pengjia Islet and 1.5 nautical miles outside the provisional enforcement line.
Authorities took Captain Sheng (盛) and Chief Engineer Hung (洪) into custody.
Fishermen recounted similar incidents 6 to 7 years ago, where three vessels were detained and released after paying fines, with one vessel paying up to NT$800,000.
Keelung Fishermen's Association (基隆區漁會) head Chen Wen-chin (陳文欽) stated that officials present video evidence of the encroachment and provide Mandarin explanations to the Taiwanese crew.
Chen emphasized that the association regularly advises against crossing boundaries, but some captains claim ocean currents and the pursuit of fish can unintentionally lead them into foreign waters. Given current geopolitical tensions, he warned that fishermen must be particularly cautious near Japanese and Chinese waters.
The situation underscores the need for vigilance in international waters and adherence to maritime regulations to avoid costly detentions and fines.