Illegal Chinese fishing vessel detained on Palau
15 December, 2020
An illegal Chinese angling vessel and its own 28 crew have been detained in Palau, authorities said, creating a delicate diplomatic scenario for the little Pacific nation, which is allied with Beijing's rival Taiwan.
The boat was intercepted by a patrol boat at Helen Reef, in Palau's territorial waters, and escorted to the key island of Koror, the Division of Marine Law and Enforcement (DMLE) said.
"They did have sea cucumber on the website ... it's estimated about 500 pounds (225 kilograms)," DMLE director Victor Remengesau advised reporters on Monday.
He said the Chinese fishermen and 19 crew from the patrol boat that caught them were undergoing 2 weeks quarantine found in Palau, which is among the few places on the globe that remains free from COVID-19.
Remengesau, the brother of Palau President Tommy Remengesau, said it hadn't yet been chose whether to fee the fishermen, who exactly are believed to be from southern China's Hainan province.
"That's one of the issues that we're discussing," he said.
"We've been told we don't want them to be here any more than they need to be."
Palau, long regarded as a pioneer found in marine conservation, possesses banned foreign commercial fishing vessels from its waters.
The tiny nation around 18,000 is among Taiwan's four remaining allies in the Pacific and only 15 worldwide.
China, which sees Taiwan within its territory, has shown its displeasure in Palau's diplomatic links during the past, implementing a great unofficial tourism boycott in 2018.
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