Taiwan Boat Collides With Liberian-Flagged Ship, Crew Rescued

All 10 crewmembers on a Taiwan fishing boat were safe after a Liberian merchant ship ran into it from behind in the South Pacific early Saturday, opening up a leak in fishing vessel, the Fisheries Agency said. The agency said it had contacted the fishing boat, the Hsiang Yung No. 6 (祥湧6號) which is registered in Pingtung County, and learned that the leak had not worsened and no one had been hurt. Although the fishing boat can sail, its crew has been advised to wait for rescue by another Taiwanese fishing vessel in the area that was sailing toward them and was expected to reach them later in the evening, the agency said.

Fisheries Agency Deputy Director General Huang Hung-yen said there were two Taiwanese and eight Indonesian crewmembers aboard the fishing boat at the time of the collision, which occurred at 3:45 a.m. in the South Pacific. The fishing boat and the Liberian merchant vessel were about 530 nautical miles southeast of Eluanbi, the southernmost tip of Taiwan, at the time, Huang said. He said his agency had alerted Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration and had also spoken with the captain to get an update of the situation onboard the boat. The Liberian ship was to remain near the fishing vessel and wait until rescue boats arrived, Huang said, adding that the two vessels would discuss compensation later.