Taiwan and Japan to negotiate fishing rights in waters south of Yaeyama and near Okinotorishima? Fisheries Agency: Fishing is allowed but coordination is required

The Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Committee concluded last week, but KMT legislator Johnny Chiang harshly criticized on the 11th that the Tsai administration has no intention of protecting fishermen. Japan is still unwilling to negotiate with our country over "the issue of operating in waters south of the Yaeyama Islands and the Okinotori area," and there is even talk that the applicable waters under the agreement have been narrowed. In response, Chen Tien-shou, deputy chairman of the Council of Agriculture, held an emergency press conference to clarify that both sides review operational details on a rolling basis every year, and there has been no narrowing, "fishermen can still go in and operate with peace of mind." There was no breakdown in negotiations.

The waters south of the Yaeyama Islands are rich in catch, especially with bluefin tuna gathering there, and Taiwan's fishermen have actively sought to include the area within the scope of the bilateral agreement. However, because the area is close to Japan's Yaeyama Islands, Fisheries Agency Director-General Huang Hung-yen said it is somewhat forcing things for Taiwan's fishing boats to insist on entering, "just like asking your home to open up for me to catch fish." Still, in consideration of fishermen's demands, the area has been proposed to Japan every year for inclusion in the agreement's scope.

Include the waters south of the Yaeyama Islands in the agreement's scope? Fisheries Agency: We will keep pushing for it

As for whether the area south of the Yaeyama Islands, which fishermen are concerned about, will be included in the agreement's scope, Chen Tien-shou said that all countries value their exclusive economic zones, and if exclusive economic zones overlap, they must sit down properly and negotiate, but the Council of Agriculture will absolutely strive for fishermen's greatest rights and interests. The waters south of the Yaeyama Islands are indeed closer to Japan's islands, but it is not impossible to designate them as cooperative waters, "we will do our best."

Huang Hung-yen pointed out that the area south of the Yaeyama Islands has a large catch, with bluefin tuna often gathering there, but because it is close to Japan's islands, it is somewhat forcing things for Taiwan's fishing boats to insist on entering, "just like asking your home to open up for me to catch fish." Discussions with Japan will be held again at the end of March, but only on operational details.

Chen Tien-shou stressed that there has been no breakdown in negotiations, and the implementation details of the agreement are reviewed regularly every year anyway, "in the operating waters under the Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement, fishing boats can still go in and operate with peace of mind." At the end of March and the beginning of April this year, both sides will negotiate again to review the operating order in the agreement's waters, and will also continue to negotiate with Japan through communication platforms such as the Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Committee meetings and the Maritime Affairs Cooperation Dialogue, to strive for fishermen's rights and interests.