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Taipei, Manila arrive
at fishing dispute consensus
WATERS UNDER THE BRIDGE: With the formulation of
a written consensus on how to deal with future fishing disputes, Taipei hopes to
avoid a repeat of the May 9 incident
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter
Taipei and Manila have reached a consensus on dealing with fishing disputes in
overlapping waters to prevent a repeat of the May 9 incident in which Philippine
Coast Guard personnel shot at a Taiwanese boat, killing fisherman Hung Shih-cheng
(¬x¥Û¦¨), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (ªL¥Ã¼Ö) said last night.
Lin told the press that progress had been made at the first preparatory talks
held on Friday in Manila toward possible negotiations on a provisional fisheries
agreement covering the waters claimed by the two countries.
In the consensus, which was recorded in writing, both sides agreed that their
law enforcement officials would refrain from the use of force or violence
against fishermen from the other side, Lin said.
Taipei and Manila agreed to establish a mechanism for both sides to notify each
other of incidents involving fishing boats and to determine how their respective
authorities would handle such cases, the minister said.
In the event that a fishing boat is detained by the other side, the detaining
country must abide by international regulations regarding fisheries disputes and
release the boat and fishermen as soon as possible, Lin said.
Taiwan froze the hiring of Filipino workers on May 15, as part of a set of 10
sanctions it imposed against the Philippines in response to what Taipei said was
Manila¡¦s failure to meet Taipei¡¦s four-demand ultimatum over the May 9 shooting.
The ultimatum sought a formal apology from the Philippine government for Hung¡¦s
death, compensation for his family, the launch of an investigation into the
incident and the initiation of negotiations on a fisheries agreement.
Lin said that both sides are to meet for a second time in Taipei next month to
discuss issues related to a provisional arrangement on fishing rights in the
area.
¡§Our most important goals in the negotiations are to ensure the safety of our
fishermen operating in overlapping waters and to prevent incidents like the one
on May 9,¡¨ Lin said.
The Taiwanese delegation at the meeting was led by Fisheries Agency Deputy
Director-General Tsay Tzu-yaw (½²¤éÄ£).
Lin said he expected Manila would release its report on the incident soon
because Philippine President Benigno Aquino III had already received the results
of the investigation conducted by the Philippine National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI).
Philippine Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday confirmed a
recommendation by the NBI to press charges against some members of the
Philippine Coast Guard involved in the incident.
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