Yunlin fishermen accuse wind power construction of destroying fishing grounds, steer boats to block and confront escort fleet
Recently the waters off Yunlin have been restless, and the cause lies in the German company Dade Energy conducting wind farm horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations off the coast of Yunlin. Fishermen believe the wind power company's work vessels are carrying out seabed site preparation that destroys the ecology of the fishing grounds, so they have resorted to self-help to defend the fishing grounds and block the project from proceeding. Since June, four consecutive standoff incidents between fishing boats and the company have occurred at sea.
The day before yesterday (7/7), another large-scale standoff occurred. A wind power company work platform tugboat, escorted by nine fishing boats registered in Taichung, China, tried to force its way into the shallow waters off Sihu, Yunlin, to carry out submarine cable laying work, but was spotted by fishermen Li Pingshun and his son Li Kaiwen, who were working there at the time. Though outnumbered, the father and son fought hard to block them and notified nearby working fishermen for reinforcement. In the end, because the coastal waters were shallow and local fishermen had arrived, the outside vessels retreated in the face of difficulties.
Wind power company forms fleet to enter waters off Yunlin, local fishermen urgently call for support to defend fishing grounds
Dade Energy plans to build 80 offshore wind turbines in Yunlin, to be constructed over two years. The main cause of this incident was the "Yunlin Wind Farm Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Operation" project of its affiliate Yuneng Company.
Li Kaiwen said the area is an important fishing ground that local fishermen rely on for their livelihoods, including three-spot crab, emperor fish, and white pomfret. To lay submarine cables, the wind power company carried out site preparation, dragging the seabed into a mess, severely damaging the ecology and leading to reduced catches. To protect the fishing grounds, local fishermen have already confronted the wind power company's work vessels at sea many times.
This father-and-son fishing duo did not expect that yesterday (7/7), besides the tugboat and work platform, the company would actually find nine outside fishing boats to form a fleet to escort the work vessels. "We asked over the radio what they were doing now? They said they had come to protect the tugboat and work platform, to let their vessels come in and work. We declared over the radio that this is our fishing ground and we have nets set, and told them not to come over," Li Kaiwen said.
Because the previous seabed site preparation by the work vessel had already destroyed fishing nets, Li Pingshun steered his boat among the other side's fleet and shouted, demanding that they stop work. The other side showed no intention of stopping, so he had no choice but to urgently broadcast over the radio to call on nearby fishing boats: "You have to look after your own fishing nets."
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