Taiwan and the Philippines have reached a consensus on some outstanding fisheries issues, Taipei's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday, bringing the neighboring countries one step closer to avoiding fishing disputes in the future.
On 22 October, the two countries agreed to set up a direct hotline, establish a cooperative enforcement mechanism, create an immediate reporting system for fishing-related incidents, and secure the release of fishing vessels and crews detained in the future, all effective immediately, said ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao.
The measures were first decided in a 14 June preparatory meeting and confirmed during the second bilateral meeting, which took place 21 to 22 October, she said.