Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Pork86/WikiCommons/CC BY-SA 4.0
IN SEPTEMBER, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling criticized Chinese fishermen over the use of cyanide fishing.
The controversial means of fishing uses the toxic chemical in the form of a sodium cyanide mixture to stun or kill fish near coral reefs, making them easier to catch. However, the practice is damaging to coral reefs, as it kills polyps and algae. The fish that are caught using cyanide fishing can also be dangerous to handle or eat, given the toxicity.
Kuan made the comments at the International Conference on Marine Environmental Management in Taipei, which brought together 27 experts from France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States. Kuan accused China of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Specifically, a Chinese vessel was seized by the Coast Guard earlier this month, after it was found illegally operating near Dongsha/Pratas Island. Dongsha/Pratas Island is the largest of the South China Sea islands and is administered by Taiwan as part of Cijin, Kaohsiung. The island is 170 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong. Cyanide was found onboard the vessel.
Interestingly, this is not the only time that Chinese fishing vessels have come under scrutiny over the use of cyanide fishing, as it pertains to rival claimants over South China Sea islands. This has also occurred in the Philippines, regarding the contested Scarborough Shoal. China blocked Philippine ships from accessing the Scarborough Shoal in 2012, leading to the Philippines pursuing arbitration against China for violating UNCLOS. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines. This did not put an end to conflict between the Philippines and China over the Scarborough Shoal, however, with continued tensions between the respective coast guards of both countries.
According to the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, damage to the shoal caused by cyanide fishing is already over 18 million USD, with damage to the coral reef already visible by satellite in 2018. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has accused China of intentionally seeking to destroy the Scarborough Shoal to prevent Filipino fishermen from being able to fish there.
Either way, this proves another case in which Taiwan is on the receiving end of environmentally destructive practices from Chinese vessels intruding in Taiwanese territorial waters. One example is sand dredging carried out by Chinese vessels in waters around Taiwan’s outlying island of Matsu.
Outlying islands of Taiwan, including Matsu but also Kinmen, face intrusions in ocean waters by Chinese fishing ships. China has sometimes used incidents when the Taiwanese Coast Guard confronted such vessels as a pretext to increase grey-zone activity directed toward Taiwan, as occurred after a fatal collision between a Chinese fishing vessel seeking to flee from the Taiwanese coast guard in early 2024 that led to two Chinese deaths.
One notes that Taiwan could seek to strengthen ties with other countries that face similar actions from Chinese vessels, fishing or otherwise. The Philippines, likely given its concerns about Chinese aggression toward its fishermen, has strengthened diplomatic exchanges with Taiwan. A prominent case in point is Filipino president Bongbong Marcos congratulating Lai Ching-te on his election in 2024 on Twitter.
Still, a stumbling block to that is that Taiwan’s claims over South China Sea islands conflict with those of the Philippines and Japan, who otherwise are possible allies against Chinese threats. Even the independence-leaning Lai administration has maintained these territorial claims, as part of maintaining the ROC framework. It is to be seen if the Lai administration manages to shift toward a more flexible position in the future.