CGA urges China not to use shipwreck for gain - Taipei Times

• Staff writer, with CNA

Maritime search and rescue operations do not have borders, and China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwanese sovereignty, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday.

The coast guard made the statement in response to the China Coast Guard (CCG) saying it saved a Taiwanese fishing boat.

The Chuan Yu No. 6 (全漁6號), a fishing vessel registered in Keelung, on Thursday caught fire and sank in waters northeast of Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台).

Photo courtesy of a reader via CNA

The vessel left Keelung's Badouzih Fishing Harbor (八斗子漁港) at 3:35pm on Sunday last week, with seven people on board — a 62-year-old Taiwanese captain surnamed Chang (張) and six Filipino crew members.

The CGA said it received a report at about 5am on Thursday that Chuan Yu No. 6 was on fire about 77 nautical miles northeast of the Diaoyutais, which is within Japan's search and rescue region.

The six foreign crew members were rescued by nearby fishing vessel Chuan Yu No. 36 the same day, but the captain was missing, it said.

Photo copied by Lin Chia-tung, Taipei Times

Emergency protocols were activated and patrol vessel Taoyuan was dispatched from the Northern Sector Mobilization Unit to lead search and rescue operations, it added.

The Taoyuan arrived at the site of the incident — about 131 nautical miles northeast of Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼) — late at 11pm on the same day, but due to poor sea conditions, the rescued crew members were temporarily sheltered aboard Chuan Yu No. 36 while the Taoyuan continued an intensive search for the missing captain, the CGA said.

However, China's coast guard on Friday said it had conducted an "emergency rescue of a Chinese Taiwan fishing vessel in the waters near the Diaoyu Islands," and that the "Chinese Taiwan" vessel caught fire about 76 nautical miles northeast of Huangwei Islet (黃尾嶼).

"After the incident occurred, CCG vessels on patrol missions proceeded to the incident site to extinguish the fire on the distressed fishing boat and launched a search and rescue," the Chinese coast guard said. "Six people have been rescued and rescue work is ongoing."

It also released four images showing their firefighting activities.

The CGA yesterday said China was infringing upon Taiwanese sovereignty, and engaging in political maneuvering and cognitive warfare.

The crew members of the boat were rescued by the nearby Taiwanese fishing vessel Chuan Yu No. 36, it said, adding that it immediately dispatched the Taoyuan and coordinated with the Japan Coast Guard, which also dispatched patrol aircraft and vessels to assist.

Another CGA patrol vessel, Yilan, was also deployed, it said, adding that the agency was still working with Japanese authorities in an intensive search for Chang.

Regarding China's intentional use of the term "Chinese Taiwan fishing vessel," the CGA said maritime search and rescue has no borders, and is a universally recognized value, so China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwan's sovereignty.

The six crew members were transferred to the Yilan at about 6am yesterday, and the vessel was expected to return to the Port of Keelung by 7pm, it said.

The search operation for the missing captain continues, and the CGA would not give up hope and would continue to commit all available resources to his rescue, in hopes of bringing him home safely as soon as possible, it added.

Additional reporting by Lin Chia-tung