The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday rescued three Philippine fishermen stranded in Taiwan’s fishing waters after their encounter with Tropical Storm Cimaron.
Despite the fact that the fishery dispute that left one Taiwanese fisherman dead in May is still unsettled, with Philippine workers banned from being employed in Taiwan, the local coastguardsmen delivered the crew and their bobbing sampan from their predicament.
The sampan had been discovered by the CGA’s Patrol Directorate General 37 nautical miles southeast of Eluanbi (???) at 8 a.m. yesterday.
One of the rescued Philippine fishermen reported that they had started the fishing trip along with another boat from the Santa Ana port on July 15, but were cut short of their mission after tropical storm Cimaron struck two days later, approximately 10 nautical miles from the port. The two boats had been separated after the storm became fierce, said the CGA.
The crew had been taken to the Kaohsiung port after being rescued and issued temporary visas that allowed them to enter Taiwan.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines has been trying to contact the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei with the aim of reaching the fishermen’s families and assisting them in returning safely.
The CGA dispatched another rescue team to scout for the other vessel, patrolling the nearby seas with helicopters sent by the Ministry of the Interior.
1999 2013 The China Post