A group of fishermen from Pingtung County have set off for the South China Sea in order to demonstrate Taiwan’s sovereignty over Taiping Island. The fishermen are also protesting against a recent ruling from Hague Tribunal calling the island as a rock.
A group of fishermen set off on five fishing boats for a 12-day trip to Taiping Island. The fishermen say they have prepared adequate food for themselves and plan to give some extra food to Taiwanese soldiers stationed on the island.
However, the director of Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency, Chen Tien-shou, says that the government only gives its support to fishing near Taiping Island.
“If they intend to fish as they usually do, then the Fisheries Agency will send patrol boats for their protection, as the Coast Guard Administration did a few days ago. Basically, it is ok for fishing boats to operate [in the area], but we can’t support fishermen participating in some other activity [there] outside the bounds of fishing. ”
The Fisheries Agency has also said that it will issue fines to participants on board vessels other than fishing boats.