The government will do all it can to protect the rights of Taiwanese fishermen near the Diaoyutai Islands while resolving disputes with Japan. That’s the word from the MInistry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official Tsai Ming-yaw on Tuesday.
Tsai was speaking about Japanese officials and fishermen petitioning Tokyo for narrowing the area where Taiwanese fishing boats can operate near the islands. Taiwan claims sovereignty over the Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea, though they are under de facto Japanese control.
Taiwan and Japan are set to hold a three-day meeting on fishing rights starting Wednesday in Taipei. Tsai said Japan has not put their proposed limits on Taiwanese fishing on the meeting agenda. But he does not rule out the possibility of Japan raising the issue at the meeting. He said if the issue is brought up, Taiwan’s government will do all it can to defend the rights of Taiwanese fishermen.
Tsai said the main issue to be discussed at the meeting is fishing regulations, which include fishing methods and the distance to be maintained between fishing boats.