Ministry of Foreign Affairs efforts at enlisting international cooperation to find the fishing boat Te Hong Sing No. 368 Upon being informed on July 18, 2013 that Republic of China (Taiwan) fishing boat Te Hong Sing No. 368 (THS 368; registration CT4-2913), which had sailed from Su’ao, had lost contact with ROC fisheries authorities and the families of its crewmembers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) promptly launched rescue efforts in cooperation with the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and the Fisheries Agency (FA) of the Council of Agriculture. It immediately sent a telegram to 14 overseas missions of the ROC, including embassies in Kiribati and Solomon Islands, and representative offices in Australia, New Zealand, France, the United States, and Indonesia as well as its office in Honolulu. At 4:30 in the morning on July 27, CGA patrol vessel Xunhu No. 7 intercepted the THS 368 in the waters southeast of Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands. After boarding and inspecting the boat, CGA officials found nine Indonesian crewmembers aboard but not its captain, surnamed Chen, or its chief engineer, surnamed He. Since being notified of the incident, MOFA has communicated daily with the CGA and the FA. Any information it obtained regarding the boat’s location was immediately telegrammed to 10 ROC overseas missions in the Asia-Pacific region, its office in Honolulu, as well as representative offices in the United States and France. MOFA also requested rescue assistance from France, the United States, Kiribati, New Zealand, Australia, and related regional fisheries organizations such as the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The THS 368, which had lost communication with Taiwan, was found in Pacific waters between Kiribati and French Polynesia heading in the direction of Indonesia. (Fishing boats of less than 100 tons would require approximately 30 days to sail from Taiwan to the boat’s location at 5,910 nautical miles east-south-east of Eluanbi at the southern tip of Taiwan.) After coordinating with concerned nations, France dispatched a helicopter from French Polynesia to check on and take aerial photos of the THS 368. The US, Australia, and New Zealand maintained communication with the ROC in monitoring the boat’s movements. As ROC diplomatic partner Kiribati does not have deep-sea vessels, it was unable to provide rescue assistance, but it notified its related agencies on islands near the THS 368 to stand by. The WCPFC initiated a reporting mechanism for its members and helped monitor vessels in these waters, including the THS 368. Since at the time, the boat was a longer distance from the US, Australia, and New Zealand, following coordination and communication among the various parties, it was decided that ROC patrol vessel Xunhu No. 7, which was resupplying in Fiji at the time, would rush to the rescue. MOFA has been promptly forwarding related information on the international coordination effort to the CGA and the FA. Xunhu No. 7 has already intercepted the THS 368 and detained the nine Indonesian crewmembers, bringing them back to Taiwan along with the fishing boat. The Republic of China government is committed to protecting the rights and interests of its fishermen and ensuring their safe operations. MOFA appreciates the assistance provided by the various countries and international organizations regarding the THS 368 incident. mofa.gov.tw/EnOfficial/ArticleDetail/DetailDefault/d7edcb21-8dc4-4c44-b4f5-e7c308630f4d?arfid=7b3b4d7a-8ee7-43a9-97f8-7f3d313ad781&opno=84ba3639-be42-4966-b873-78a267de8cf1
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:12:02 +0000