Taiwan’s Coast Guard says it has detained a Chinese fishing boat in restricted waters near the Penghu Islands. That means the Taiwanese island chain has now seen four arrests in just ten days.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration says it discovered a Chinese vessel fishing in restricted waters on Sunday during a routine patrol. Coast guard officials impounded the vessel, confiscated 20kg of fish found on board, and detained three crew members for further questioning. Authorities say there were no restricted meat products on board, and none of the crew members showed signs of a fever.
The latest arrest brings the total up to ten this month. The sharp rise in detentions comes shortly after a Chinese moratorium on fishing came into effect on May 1. The Chinese government’s yearly ban on fishing in the South China Sea is to protect fish stocks. It will last until September 16.