CHINESE FISHING VESSEL FOUND ILLEGALLY FISHING OFF TAINAN COAST|大陸休漁期 中漁船闖我海域越界捕撈

A Chinese fishing vessel was found illegally fishing in waters off Tainan early yesterday morning. The coast guard administration says the boat might have gone over the border because China has closed its fishing season. It was 4 am on Sunday morning. Just 8.9 nautical miles off the coast of Tainan, the Coast Guard Administration identified a foreign fishing vessel. More than 100 kilograms of shrimp were found onboard. ==YANG CHUN-HSIEN Deputy Chief, Tainan Coast Guard Administration== China has closed its fishing season and halted almost all fishing activities. They crossed the border for Taiwan's rich fishing waters. The boat and its entire crew were later brought to Tainan and held in custody. Investigators found the boat to be from China, where fishing season is now closed and fishing boats are recalled and grounded. This one, however, never went home and continued to fish, in Taiwanese waters. ==YANG CHUN-HSIEN Deputy Chief, Tainan Coast Guard Administration== According to existing regulations, an intrusion like this can be fined up to NT$1.2 million. We will seek to prosecute to the boat the maximum. The boat was caught in the same act 4 years ago, and so it could be slapped with a hefty NT$1.8 million fine in total. Every year between May and August, China closes its fishing season. The Coast Guard Administration says it will step up efforts in cracking down on Chinese vessels that fish in Taiwanese waters. TRANSLATED BY JEFF CHANG