China releases 25 Vietnamese fishermen; 12 held
The Associated Press, Hanoi | Fri, 06/26/2009 10:59 AM
China has released 25 Vietnamese fishermen after holding them 10 days for allegedly violating its fishing ban, but 12 others are still being held until they pay a fine, a Vietnam official said Friday.
The 25 arrived safely on their two fishing boats in central Quang Ngai province on Thursday, said provincial coast guard command spokesman Ha Thanh Ca.
All 37 fishermen were operating near the disputed Paracel islands, Ca said. The largely uninhabited islands in the South China Sea, claimed by both Vietnam and China, straddle busy sea lanes and are believed to have large oil and natural gas reserves.
China last month imposed a fishing ban on some parts of the South China Sea, saying it was to prevent seafood resources exhaustion. The ban lasts until Aug. 1. In March, China dispatched a converted naval vessel to patrol fishing grounds surrounding the disputed islands, about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south of Hong Kong.
The fishermen were intercepted by Chinese navy on June 16 and were detained on the Paracels, Ca said.
He said the Chinese navy decided to fine the fishermen a total of 210,000 Chinese yuan ($31,000).
The fishermen did not have the money, so the Chinese navy continues to hold 12 "as hostage" and will only release them when fines are paid, he said. Ca said the Chinese navy has detained other Vietnamese fishermen in the past.
"China claimed that the fishermen violated their sovereignty and fishing ban," Ca said by telephone from Quang Ngai. "But these sea areas are under Vietnamese sovereignty. Vietnamese fishermen have been operating in these areas for many generations."
The foreign ministries for both China and Vietnam did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
In a regular press briefing Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nguyen Phuong Nga said the Chinese fishing ban is "unacceptable" and that Vietnamese fishermen were still fishing normally in the sea areas under Vietnamese sovereignty.
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