In order to protect their fishing rights, some 100 Taiwanese fishing boats were set to sail for the disputed Diaoyutai Islands on Monday afternoon to protest Japan’s nationalization of the island chain, the Suao Fishermen’s Association said on Sunday.
The protest was aimed at protecting local fishermen’s legitimate rights to operate in waters near the Diaoyutais, traditionally considered Taiwan’s fishing region, said officials of the association, based in the northeastern coastal township of Suao in Yilan County.
At Sunday’s press conference, over 100 fishermen wore clothing emblazoned with slogans that proclaimed “protect fishing rights for survival”.
Lin Jih-cheng, operations director of a committee to protect fishing rights near the Diaoyutais, said the boats were scheduled to reach the waters 20 nautical miles southwest off the contested island chain at 5 a.m. on Sept. 25 and these would circle the islands in groups of five.
The participating vessels will attempt to end the blockade of Japanese patrol vessels and circle 12 nautical miles off the island group, which is administered by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan, Lin said, adding they will also communicate their concerns to the Japanese government using banners.
Further, he did not rule out the possibility of their landing on the islets.
The operation was facilitated with the Want Want Group financing NT$5 million (US$17,045) to subsidize the fuel costs, the committee president, Chen Chun-sheng, said. The protest is expected to bring together about 100 fishing boats, including 60 Suao-registered ships and the remainder from other Taiwanese fishing ports.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Administration said it had obtained the firsthand information about the protest voyage, and has chalked out a strategy to protect the fishermen’s safety.
Additionally, Huang Hsi-lin, executive director of Chunghua Baodiao Alliance, told CNA that he supported the Yilan fishermen’s protest move since the territory has been Taiwanese fishermen’s traditional fishing grounds.
However, he said, Diaoyutai activists would not join this rally since it might “complicate” the situation, but did express the possibility of organizing another protest in October.
The Central News Agency