Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement Broken Down? Council of Agriculture Clarifies: Details Reviewed on a Rolling Basis Every Year, Continued Push for the Yaeyama Sea Area

The Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Committee concluded last week, but KMT legislator Chiang Chi-chen sharply criticized the Tsai government on the 11th for having no intention of protecting fishermen. Japan is still unwilling to negotiate with our country over "the issue of operations in the waters south of the Yaeyama Islands and the Okinotori Sea area," and there has even been talk that the sea area covered by the agreement has been narrowed. In response, Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Tien-shou hastily held a press conference to clarify that both sides review operational details on a rolling basis every year, and there has been no narrowing of the area. "Fishermen can still go in and operate with peace of mind." There has been no breakdown in negotiations.

The waters south of the Yaeyama Islands are rich in catches, especially with schools of bluefin tuna gathering there, and Taiwan 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 would be somewhat forcing things for Taiwan fishing boats to insist on going in, "like demanding that your home be opened up for me to fish in." Still, in consideration of fishermen's demands, Taiwan has proposed to Japan every year that the area be included in the agreement's scope.

Include the waters south of the Yaeyama Islands in the agreement's scope? Fisheries Agency: Continued Push

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 every country values its exclusive economic zone, and if exclusive economic zones overlap, the parties must sit down properly for negotiations and consultations, but the Council of Agriculture will absolutely fight for fishermen's maximum rights and interests. The waters south of the Yaeyama Islands are indeed closer to Japanese 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 abundant catches, and bluefin tuna often gather there, but because it is close to Japanese islands, it would be somewhat forcing things for Taiwan fishing boats to insist on going in, "like demanding that your home be opened up for me to fish in." At the end of March, Taiwan will again discuss the matter with Japan, 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 on a fixed basis every year anyway. "In the operating waters of 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, the two sides will negotiate again to review the operating order in the agreement's sea area, and will also continue to negotiate with Japan through communication platforms such as the Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Committee meeting and the maritime affairs cooperation dialogue meeting, striving for fishermen's rights and interests.