Saboto Caesar, the minister in charge of fisheries in St. Vincent (SVG), says that no Taiwanese vessel fishes in the islands’ territorial waters or exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In an interview with the St. Vincent Times, Caesar stated that St. Vincent’s territorial waters extend 12 miles out while the exclusive economic zone extends 350 miles from the coast line; beyond that, it is international waters or the high seas.
“No Taiwanese vessel fishes in our territorial waters or EEZ; Taiwanese vessels fish on the high seas. On the high seas, they give quotas as to how much tuna you can fish. We don’t have vessels going out there for 6 or 7 months. However, vessels from around the world were being flagged by St. Vincent and “fishing on the high seas”.
“There was never a Taiwanese boat flagged by St. Vincent fishing in our waters and taking out our fish. They cannot come within 12 or 350 miles. I hear they say if you watch out between Bequia and St. Vincent, you will see some Taiwan boat nonsense; the vessels work in the Pacific”, Caesar said.
According to Caesar, the island is working to establish its own indigenous fishing fleet for the high seas.
“Now we are going to develop our indigenous fishing fleet to go on the high seas. The program would be initiated with money the government received from ALBA, which is 2 million US. We’re going to provide a system whereby we will have an indigenous fleet of boats to go on the high seas flagged by Saint Vincent”.
Caesar said St Vincent have moved to the deflagged all fishing vessels that are working on the high seas since the island will have its own indigenous fleet.
