A Taiwanese fishing boat is on its way home to Taiwan on Thursday after being detained in the Philippines for more than three months. The boat, the Der Man Fu No. 3, left the port of San Vicente north of Luzon Thursday morning and is expected to arrive in Taiwan within two days.
The boat was seized on June 11 for entering Philippine territorial waters. The captain and chief engineer were interrogated in Aparri before being detained in San Vicente.
Any foreign fishing boat entering Philippine territorial waters is charged with illegal poaching and can be fined up to US$1 million. The crew of the Taiwanese ship was only fined US$60,000.
The ship was ready to set sail in late August after completing all legal procedures but was swept onto a beach with the arrival of Typhoon Goni. The boat was refloated and towed out to sea on Monday.