Five fishing boats that sailed to Taiping Island in the disputed South China Sea returned home to a heroes’ welcome on Sunday. But fishery authorities say they may face sanctions for breaches of regulations during the trip.
Around 600 people turned out to welcome the boats home at 10 am on Sunday after their round journey of over 3,000 kilometers in eleven days. Among them was Hung Hsiu-chu, leader of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang.
The flotilla of boats set out from Pingtung in southern Taiwan on July 20 to assert Taiwan’s sovereignty over Taiping and its surrounding waters. The move came after the Hague tribunal earlier this month ruled that Taiping and the other land features of the Spratlys are rocks, not islands, and are not entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
Four of the boats reached Taiping on July 25, as one dropped out early on in the voyage due to mechanical problems. Three of the remaining boats docked at Taiping to resupply and for two crew members to receive medical attention. Taiping is designated as an area of military control that is off-limits to civilians.
The Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture affirmed the fishermen’s bid to defend national sovereignty and the rights of the country’s fishermen. It said however that such acts must be conducted within the boundaries of the law and that it would look at possible violations of fishing regulations and protocols that the crews may have committed.