The Fisheries Agency says it referred the Taiwan-owned fishing vessel Da Wang to prosecutors for investigation in March. That’s after US authorities stopped fish imports from the ship amid reports of forced labor and other abuses onboard.
According to the Associated Press, Greenpeace recorded testimony from Indonesian fishermen who had worked aboard the vessel. They alleged being forced to work up to 22 hours a day and withheld wages, as well as beatings and threats.
The Fisheries Agency’s Deputy Director-General, Lin Kuo-ping, says that the agency has limited oversight over Da Wang because it is registered in the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu. However, prosecutors at the Pingtung District Prosecutor’s Office are aware of the allegations, and the Fisheries Agency is awaiting their findings.