Two Taiwanese fishermen detained by the Philippines may be able to come home soon.
The two fishermen on board the Taiwan-flagged vessel Der Man Fu No. 3 were detained by a Philippine patrol boat in June. They were accused of fishing in the Philippines’ territorial waters, but the Taiwanese skipper’s brother told reporters that the fishing boat was only passing through the waters.
This is the third incident involving Taiwanese fishing vessels and the Philippine coastal patrol since early May. Escalating tension due to these incidents has led to a delay in negotiations on a fisheries agreement.
On Friday, Deputy Minister of Agriculture James Sha said the tuna fishing season has ended, so there will be fewer fisheries disputes between Taiwan and the Philippines. He said this means it’s now more likely for the two sides to reach an agreement.
Sha said the agreement calls on the two sides to avoid using force and to notify each other of any incident within an hour of it happening, if an arrest is to be made.