SUSPECT HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET VESSELS NOT TAIWAN

UNCLAS TAIPEI 003251 SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS TO AIT/W STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC STATE ALSO FOR OES/OMC - TOM KING E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIS PREL PHSA SENV TW ESTH SUBJECT: SUSPECT HIGH SEAS DRIFTNET VESSELS NOT TAIWAN FLAGGED: INFO ON INDONESIAN VESSEL REQUESTED REF: A) TAIPEI 03152 B) STATE 216948 ¶1. Fisheries Agency Deputy Director-General James Sha has provided AIT with a written response to the questions posed in Ref B regarding suspected high seas driftnet fishing vessels in the North Pacific. Mr. Sha indicates that none of the vessels listed in Reftels are Taiwan-flagged, but did provide information on one of the vessels, which did visit one of Taiwan's ports. The VICTORIA JAYA 2 is registered in Indonesia and has a Taiwanese-national master. Mr. Sha requests that AIT provide any additional information it may have with respect to the VICTORIA JAYA 2 to assist Taiwan in its investigation of the alleged violation of the master of vessel. Para. 2 contains the verbatim text of Deputy Director-General Sha's October 18 facsimile. Additional documentation on the VICTORIA JAYA 2 will be transmitted to OES/OMC Tom King via facsimile. ¶2. Begin verbatim text. Thank you for your fax dated on 8 October 2004, regarding the reported high seas driftnet fishing activity in the North Pacific Ocean. After checking the fishing management system maintained by this Agency, we have not found any information on the vessels as listed on your fax message. In other words, none of them is flagged ROC's flag. However, there are some informations I can share with you that we have found VICTORIA JAYA 2 entered Kaohsiung harbor, Taiwan on 20 March 2004 and departed on 6 April 2004. The related authority had checked the vessel before she left the port, and no driftnet gear or equipment were found. According to the documents provided by the agent, as attached, the nationality, fishing gear, and registered port of the vessel are Indonesia, bottom longoine, and Sorong, respectively. Please find the relevant information of the vessel as attached for your reference. [to be faxed to OES/OMC] When the vessel departed Kaohsiung harbor, the master was identified as a national of Taiwan. It would be appreciated if you could provide any specific evidence that indicated the vessel was engaged in high seas driftnet fishing activities. The investigation will be conducted in consistent with our domestic law to pursue the alleged violation of the master. As you mentioned in your letter that AIT need further information on any vessel operating in the same area during April - October, so far Fisheries Agency has not permitted any driftnet vessel to operate in the said area, only eight squid-jigging vessels were permitted to fish in the North Pacific Ocean. The operating location is between N42-43 and E170-175. Please find the attached information of these vessels as well. It would be very helpful for deterring the illegal activities of driftnet fishing by keeping exchange information regionally as before. Looking forward to your upcoming information. End verbatim text. PAAL