Batanes mulls sisterhood pact with Taiwan
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines – Batanes Gov. Vicente Gato is considering forging sisterhood pacts with the towns and cities of Taiwan, whose fishermen continue to trespass in the country’s territorial waters.
Gato said it’s better to befriend the Taiwanese fishermen than to antagonize them, which he said could lead to hostilities between the two countries. He said the government, particularly Batanes, lacks the capability to go after these Taiwanese poachers.
Earlier, the governor called on the national government to help them fight against continued intrusion by Taiwanese and Chinese fishermen.
He said he would consult the province’s mayors for the possible sisterhood agreement with Taiwan.
Gato’s proposal came in the wake of continued sightings of Taiwanese vessels in Batanes waters following the killing of a fisherman by the Philippine Coast Guard men in Balintang Channel last May.
The incident strained the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Taiwan imposed a ban on hiring of Filipino workers as protest for the killing of its national.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has confirmed the continued poaching in the country’s waters, particularly in Itbayat town, which is said to be nearer to Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City than mainland Batanes.
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