Taizi Port fishermen who opposed wind turbines are accused of organized crime and protest their innocence; environmental groups say the investigation is misleading
In the early morning of February 1, prosecutors carried out a large-scale arrest of fishermen along the coast of Yunlin, sparking controversy. On February 2, the Yunlin District Prosecutors Office issued a press release stating that "some fishermen groups dropped fishing nets to destroy the warning coordinates of the offshore wind power project, called on fleets to launch at-sea resistance, and privately demanded special compensation, suspected of coercion, fraud and other crimes." The entire case is being investigated in the direction of "organized crime." (For background reading, please click here)
"Upstream and Downstream" interviewed four parties - Dade Wind Power Company, the protesting fishermen, the fishermen's association, and the Energy Bureau - and found that the controversy in this case is enormous. Dade Company later stated in a press release that the original report was made because "some fishermen did not go to sea but falsely reported compensation, and the fishermen's association (Yunlin District Fishermen's Association) demanded unfair handling of compensation." The fishermen's association maintains that some fishermen did indeed fail to go to sea but declared fishing gear compensation, but firmly denies having ever asked Dade to "report the case" for handling, and considers Dade Company's statement to be "pure imagination."
The Ministry of Economic Affairs Energy Bureau, which had intervened in negotiations between fishermen and wind turbine operators and facilitated a settlement, believes that prosecutors should be investigating "the part involving false reporting and fraudulent claims of losses," and that this should have nothing to do with the outcome of the negotiated settlement. Paradoxically, after prosecutors arrested the fishermen, Dade Company issued a press release stating: "The company greatly values the negotiation results and thanks the Energy Bureau and fishermen groups for assisting in mediation," but at the same time it reported the fishermen groups, leading to their investigation by prosecutors.
Li Pingshun, chairman of the Yunlin County Near-Coastal Operating Fishing Boat Association, a group formed by protesting fishermen, pointed out that maritime fishing disputes are civil compensation matters between enterprises and fishermen. Only after the protest actions did fishermen establish a self-help group, yet prosecutors are investigating it as "organized crime," which he cannot accept.
Overall, this case originated from a small number of fishermen who did not go to sea but falsely reported claims. Why has it evolved into a large-scale investigation of fishermen in self-help protests? The accounts of the four parties are completely different, like a Rashomon. In response, the Environmental Rights Protection Foundation, which assisted fishermen in fighting for their rights and participated in the entire coordination process, stated: certain individuals deliberately misled the investigation and used public power to intimidate fishermen.
Li Pingshun emphasized that by July 20, Dade commissioned its contractor Honghua Construction to send personnel to negotiate compensation and at the same time demanded resumption of work, but the coordination broke down,after which the submarine cable construction ship resumed work without authorization and again had a dispute with fishermen. On August 4, at the county government negotiation site, men in black carrying knives appeared to gather evidence against fishermen. On August 13, fishermen went north to the Legislative Yuan to hold a press conference, prompting Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Zeng Wensheng to go south to coordinate. He believes the entire process was public and that there was no private "demand for special compensation."
Li Pingshun emphasized that the fishermen's association cannot represent the views of all fishing fishermen, so fishermen had no choice but to form their own group to defend their waters and livelihoods. However, the maritime dispute in June was the action of individual fishermen, and the association had not yet been established at that time. Dade Company reported the case to the police to identify individual fishermen who falsely reported damage, which he considers reasonable and does not oppose.
However, the prosecutorial and investigative authorities directed the investigation toward the "crime of coercion" in maritime disputes and the "crime of fraud" in compensation negotiations, and steered it toward the Yunlin County Near-Coastal Operating Fishing Boat Association being involved in "organized crime." Li Pingshun believes this is a "misattribution." Because during the maritime dispute in June, the fishermen's group had not yet been established at all, yet prosecutors now deliberately steer it toward the fishermen's group being involved in organized crime, which he firmly cannot accept.
