PENGHU (TVBS News) — Chinese authorities released four crew members of Taiwan's Da Jin Man No. 88 fishing vessel (大進滿88號) on Wednesday (Aug. 14) after detaining them for over a month. However, the captain and the vessel remain in custody pending further investigation.
Since the Chinese coast guard detained the crew in July for alleged illegal fishing, the Penghu County magistrate and the Chinese Cross Strait Interchange Association (CCSIA, 兩岸交流協會) facilitated the crew's return. The Da Jin Man No. 96 vessel (大進滿96號) picked up the crew at the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, and they arrived in Penghu early Wednesday.
Chen Shuang-chuan (陳雙全), former deputy speaker of the Penghu County Council, noted that the captain and the vessel will be released only after legal procedures conclude. The exact release time is still undetermined by the Fujian Provincial People's Government's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), he added.
Family members expressed relief after the crew's release. They reported having no contact with the detained crew for the past month, which caused significant worry.
On July 2, Chinese authorities detained the Da Jin Man No. 88 vessel during China's fishing moratorium, suspecting it of illegal squid fishing. The Chinese coast guard apprehended the captain, a Taiwanese crew member, and three Indonesian fishermen, taking them to Fujian's Weitou Port, where they have been held for 41 days.