Lin Daijin / Trawling causes severe harm to the ocean. Can we ask the fishermen to be reasonable?

Text / Lin Daijin, researcher at the Taiwan Animal Society Research Association

On March 28, 106 (2017), the Fisheries Agency announced amended provisions to the "Locations of Trawl Fishing Vessel Prohibited Zones and Related Restrictions," explicitly prohibiting trawl fishing vessels from towing nets, setting nets, or hauling nets within three nautical miles of the coast, in the hope of stopping trawl fishing vessels from "pretending to wash nets while actually fishing" within three nautical miles, exploiting legal loopholes and causing enforcement disputes and difficulties.

Trawl fishermen today (the 27th) went to the Fisheries Agency to petition, protesting that the penalties set by the Fisheries Agency are too heavy, arguing that both the vessel owner and the captain should not be penalized at the same time, and that restricting or suspending fishery operations should not be required either. In order to protect the habitats of marine life and marine resources, we call on all citizens to support the Fisheries Agency's legal amendment, and to continue working to ensure that all harmful fishing gear and fishing methods are transformed and phased out, so as to benefit the sustainable development of marine ecology.

Understanding bottom trawling in one minute

Amendment of trawling provisions to avoid "pretending to wash nets while actually fishing"

On March 28, 106 (2017), the Fisheries Agency announced amended provisions to the "Locations of Trawl Fishing Vessel Prohibited Zones and Related Restrictions." The new (added) regulations are as follows:

(1) Trawl fishing vessels are prohibited from towing nets, setting nets, or hauling nets within three nautical miles of the coast.
(2) Trawl fishing vessels of 50 gross tonnage or more are prohibited from towing nets, setting nets, or hauling nets within twelve nautical miles of the coast.
(3) Trawl fishing vessels are prohibited from carrying or using roller-type fishing gear when leaving port for operations.
(4) Penalties are increased. In addition to a fine of 30,000 to 150,000 yuan under Article 65, Paragraph 6, violators may also have their fishery license, officer crew practice certificate, or fishing vessel crew handbook revoked for up to one year under Article 10, and in serious cases, these may be annulled.

This time, the original prohibition on trawl fishing vessels "operating" within three nautical miles of the coast is amended to prohibit trawl fishing vessels from "towing nets, setting nets, or hauling nets" within three nautical miles of the coast, making the legal wording clearer, in order to avoid the past situation in which trawl fishing vessels within three nautical miles "pretended to wash nets while actually fishing," exploited legal loopholes, and caused enforcement disputes and difficulties.

Can trawl fishermen be reasonable?

Therefore, seeing trawl fishermen today (the 27th) go to the Fisheries Agency to petition and protest, and the focus of the protest is actually that the Fisheries Agency's penalties are too heavy, arguing that since they have already been fined (Article 65, Paragraph 6 of the Fisheries Act), both the vessel owner and the captain should not also be penalized at the same time, and fishery operations should not even be restricted or suspended, or fishery licenses, officer crew practice certificates, and crew handbooks revoked for up to one year, with serious cases subject to annulment. (Article 10 of the Fisheries Act)! Does this not mean that trawl vessels often violate the law and repeatedly violate it (repeat offenses), so the penalties cannot be set too heavy?

In order to protect the habitats of marine life and marine resources, we call on all citizens to support the Fisheries Agency's legal amendment, and to continue working to ensure that all harmful fishing gear and fishing methods are transformed and phased out, so as to benefit the sustainable development of marine ecology.