Fishing for Trouble

The city of Capetown is South Africa's legislative capital, and is also the largest fishing port and long range fishing base. It is listed along with Singapore as the most important of the ROC long range fishing bases. For the ROC's overseas representatives abroad, June and July were indeed troubled times in Capetown.

A local guide sighed, "If it goes on like this, ROC citizens will become unpopular guests here." Strong criticism of the ROC has also appeared in the South African press.

All this is due to fishing related incidents over the past year.

Every year more than 600 ROC fishing boats stop in at Capetown to unload or to resupply. According to the annual Sino-South African fishing agreement, ROC fishing vessels can catch about 8,000 metric tons of fish in South African territorial waters (varying each year). This year the quota was raised; the ROC was the only one of six nations which negotiated with South Africa to receive an increase. From this you can see the effect of traditionally good relations.

However, not all fishing vessels play by the rules of the game.

In January of this year, the ROC had fourteen boats confiscated by the South African government because they were carrying gill nets, banned in this area. However, the South African government treated them leniently because of friendship between the two countries.

On May 22, the ROC boat An-hung #1 ran aground. The South African Air Force rescued 15 crew members. Because this vessel carried diesel oil, to avoid a spill, the RSA government notified the owner to handle the situation, to no avail. They thus sent a private salvage company to handle the matter. On the 24th, the company personnel boarding the ship discovered a large amount of gill net equipment. In the freezers were more than 40 penguins. The South African media stepped up reports.

According to RSA regulations, ships that run aground must pay a fee for the rescue costs. But the owners refused to turn over the NT$310,000 (US$11,000), creating even more animosity.

As early as April of this year, two South African crew members of the squid boat Chin Chia Ching had to be sent to the hospital in Capetown for frostbite, where their fingers were amputated. They sued for 510,000 rand compensation. On June 17, RSA judicial officials approved confiscation of the ship.

There was a conflict in the implementing of the confiscation, after which the judicial personnel, unable to take the ship's log, simply posted notices and left. That night the Chin Chia Ching sneaked away, violating the law on absconding from justice.

The ROC Capetown consulate used a wireless radio to encourage the ship to return, but the captain claimed he had to refuel first. The consulate also notified the ship owners, and urged them to pay the 510,000 rand. The company promised to do so. Little did anyone expect the Chin Chia Ching would sail home instead, the captain would drop out of sight, and the money not be paid. This infuriated the RSA government, which launched a ferocious attack in the media.

As for the frostbite event, one ROC captain pointed out that some RSA seamen are very humble, and because of language problems, even if they feel cold they won't ask for a rest out of fear of being thought lazy. If after suffering frostbite they plunge their fingers in hot water, the cells could die and amputation will be necessary. Moreover, though seamen must carry frostbite resistant gloves, some seamen don't wear them, or the gloves are of poor quality. The blame lies equally with the crew and the captain.

Then came the news of the seal hunt, which added fuel to the fire. The South African department of marine resources signed a contract with an ROC businessmen permitting the hunt of 25,000 baby and 5,000 adult seals, for which 80 US cents per head would be paid. After the kill the seals would be processed into food, bags, and medicines which are believed to enhance male sexual potency.

When this was revealed in the media, it brought protests from international animal rights activists, and even calls to boycott Taiwan products.

The RSA government argues that the 1.2 million seals on the west coast eat 10-15 kilos of fish per day, so killing the seals actually helps the environmental balance. Also, the Taiwan company used legal processes established for 17 years to gain approval.

Whatever the facts, as a result of this series of events, despite the fact that Taiwan has recently announced controls on rhinoceros horns and the control of the gill net fishing industry, its overall image took a serious beating. The media attacked Taiwan's fishing vessels, even giving the impression that all ROC fishing vessels use gill nets.

If these were only civilian matters, they could be resolved. But the chain of individual events has become a complex political problem.

Further, when the information reached home it also raised a ruckus. "Continuous, day by day effort has perhaps been completely wrecked by these few cases," says one diplomat, frustrated.

"If there is no way to completely resolve these, then there will also be a substantive impact. We will inevitably be at the disadvantage in this year's negotiations for a fishing agreement," notes Chou Kuo-juei of the Capetown consulate. Past preferences in quota, taxes, and insurance may be lost. ROC diplomats have already received the agreement of the fishing industry to put a halt to these types of business practices.

Hereafter, steps to be taken should include:

As for the An-hung incident, payment should be made to the South African government. Further, the ROC should lead fishermen to abandon gill nets and use equipment more acceptable to the international community.

Further, it is necessary to announce new policies to rebuild the country's image, such as making boat agents pay for accident insurance for crew members, using high quality protective gloves, and using South African managers to teach new seamen how to protect themselves and how to avoid on-the-job injuries....

It is hoped that these policies can rescue an international image that has run aground.

[Picture Caption]

An ROC fishing boat docked in Capetown.

Being a deck hand is hard work and high pressure; ships' captains must look out for their crews so that accidents will not occur.

The port has a "Taiwan street," and the boats docked here are all from Taiwan. It's pretty imposing.

Rest quarters for ROC seamen are being built in Capetown.

Being a deck hand is hard work and high pressure; ships' captains must look out for their crews so that accidents will not occur.

The port has a "Taiwan street," and the boats docked here are all from Taiwan. It's pretty imposing.

Rest quarters for ROC seamen are being built in Capetown.