Taiwan and the Philippines are expected to sign a fisheries law enforcement agreement next year. That’s the word from Foreign Ministry official Elliott Charng on Tuesday.
Relations between the two sides plunged to a record low in May of last year after a Taiwanese fisherman was killed by a Philippine coast guard in waters claimed by both countries.
To prevent the tragedy from happening again, Taipei and the Philippines agreed not to use violence at sea. They also agreed to understand each other’s laws, establish an emergency incident reporting mechanism and a system for quickly releasing detained fishermen.
Charng said the two sides have reached a consensus on signing the agreement though it is taking longer for Manila to coordinate government agencies.
Charng said, “They have reached the final stage and have begun the final review. I believe the [agreement] will be inked in the near future. As next year’s fishing season will begin in April, we hope to complete all legal procedures by then.”