Fishermen concern the impact of the hugue ruling / 太平島變礁? 漁民憂心衝擊漁船作業　　　　　　　　　　

The ruling that Taiping Island is a rock could reduce Taiwan's claim to the Island's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone to a territorial sea of just 12 nautical miles. Fishermen's associations in Liuqiu and Donggang expressed concerns over the ruling's impact on fishermen in the area. However, the Fisheries Agency clarified that even if the Island was considered a rock, the surrounding waters would be international waters, where fishermen could fish freely, so the ruling would not affect fishing boats' operations in this area at all. After the South China Sea arbitral tribunal ruled that Taiping Island is a rock instead of an island, fishermen in this area expressed concerns about the ruling because Taiwan's claim to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone could be reduced to only a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles. ==FISHERMEN Kaohsuing== We can be evicted by other countries, and they can tell us to stay away from that area. It will create a huge impact on us. ==LIN HAN-CHOU, Secretary-General, Donggang Area Fishermen's Association== The ruling will affect fishermen in Donggang, Liuqiu, and Kaohsiung. We could lose up to NT$300 million each year. According to the Fisheries Agency, there are currently 200-300 fishing boats operating in the U-shaped line in the SCS. Taiwan's annual fish harvest in the area reaches more than 2,400 tons. Although the Agency emphasized that the government will not accept the ruling, the ruling does not affect Taiwanese fishermen's rights because they mostly operate north of the 15th parallel north. == HUANG HUNG-YAN, Deputy Director-General, Fisheries Agency== There aren't many Taiwanese fishing boats operating south of Taiping Island. In addition, the ruling is not legally binding. We don't think that it will have any huge impact on our fishermen in this area. The Fisheries Agency pointed out that the ruling is not legally binding. Even if Taiping Island was considered a rock, the surrounding waters would be international waters. As a result, the Philippines could not claim an EEZ in this area, and Taiwanese fishermen's fishing rights would not be compromised. As for the follow-up negotiations of Taiwan-Philippines Fisheries Agreement, the Agency will see how other countries react to decide how to respond. TRANSLATED BY：LUKE CHIANG 太平島在南海仲裁案中，從島變成礁，島讓台灣可以主張擁有兩百浬經濟海域，礁卻只剩12浬領海，這讓長年在附近海域作業的漁民擔心，將來漁船到那邊作業，恐怕變得很不安全。 ==高雄漁民== 他們(其他國家)會比較就近 驅離我們 有的沒的 說這裡不能進入不能靠近 是不是這樣 影響本來就很大 ==東港區漁會總幹事 林漢丑== 會影響到我們整個 東港 小琉球 高雄籍的 這三個漁會的權利相當大啊 所以一年差不多損失 將近三億啊 漁業署指出，目前我在南海U型線海域作業的漁船，大約有200到300艘，主要捕撈鮪類、鯊類、鯛類、石斑魚等等，一年有2400多公噸漁獲量，漁業署強調，不接受南海仲裁案片面把太平島降格為礁，但事實上台灣漁船都在北緯15度以北的海域捕魚，仲裁結果對漁民權益影響不大。 ==農委會漁業署副署長 黃鴻燕== 太平島以南的水域作業的船 並不會很多 這個判決並沒有拘束力 並沒有拘束力 所以因此我們不認為 它對我們現有的漁船 會有 很大的影響 漁業署直指仲裁結果沒有約束力，但就算太平島變成礁，附近海域變成為公海，菲律賓不至於能劃得進自己的經濟海域，漁船仍可以自由來去，至於是否影響台菲漁業協定後續談判，漁業署表示要先看其他國家有何不同動作，再評估因應方式。 記者 林靜梅 陳立峰 台北報導