Representatives from Taiwan and Japan are meeting in Tokyo to discuss fishing regulations in waters near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands. It is the fourth meeting that Taiwan and Japan have held on the issue since the two countries signed a fisheries agreement in April 2013.
Foreign ministry official Chou Shyue-yow said Thursday that the issue on the agenda for this meeting is the distance that fishing boats must keep between each other while operating in the area.
“Japanese fishermen, especially those from the Ryukyu Islands, hope to increase the distance. We prefer to maintain a one-nautical-mile distance between boats," said Chou. "They hope to extend the distance to four nautical miles.”
Chou said that regulations on the distance between boats will affect the number of boats allowed in the area and therefore the yield of the catch. He said that while increasing the required distance between boats would make the area safer for fishermen, it would also reduce the number of boats allowed to operate in the area at any given time.
The Diaoyutai Islands, known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands, have been under Japan’s administrative control since 1972, but are also claimed by Taiwan and China.