The foreign ministry says that the crew of a Taiwanese fishing boat detained by Philippine authorities is safe.
The Taiwanese vessel was detained while passing through waters 6.5 nautical miles from Mavulis Island in northern Philippines on Thursday. Inspectors on a Philippine ship approached and boarded the fishing boat to investigate whether the boat was operating illegally in Philippine waters.
In a statement on Friday, the foreign ministry said that the boat remained intact. The statement said that though detained, the crew members remain free to contact the outside world. The foreign ministry is urging the Philippine authorities to release the boat and the fishermen as soon as the necessary investigation has been completed.
There are reportedly two Taiwanese and four Indonesian crew members on board.