13 Chinese fishing boats expelled in Taiwan crackdown

Want China Times, CNA 2015-02-15

Coast guard personnel use high-pressure water cannons to expel
a Chinese fishing boat, Feb. 14. (Photo/CNA)

Taiwan's coast guard has intensified actions to crack down on poaching in the seas northeast of the island, expelling 13 Chinese fishing boats from its waters over the past two days, the Coast Guard Administration said Saturday.

The administration deployed seven vessels, including the 2,000-ton cutter Hsinbei, during the two-day mission around the islets of Pengjia, Huaping and Mianhua, together known as the "three northern islets."

Coast guard personnel used high-pressure water cannons to deter poachers in waters around the islands as it is beltfish season and fishermen are seeking to meet demand in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday next week, according to the administration.