Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/02
By:  Central News Agency

Crews on deep-sea fishing boats that have anchored in other countries or engaged in improper interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic will be subject to 14-day quarantine on their vessel when they return to Taiwan, effective immediately, according to a government official.

Crew members on deep-sea fishing ships and near-sea tuna fishing boats operating in waters between Taiwan and Japan, mostly migrant fishermen, will be covered by the new rule as part of government efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Fisheries Agency (FA) Director-General Chang Chih-sheng (張致盛) told CNA Wednesday.

Deep-sea fishing vessels are targeted because they spend more time operating in oceans far from Taiwan, while tuna fishing boats have been included because a large number of Taiwanese ships are engaged in the trade at a time when tuna fishing peak season is approaching.

Vessels that belong to these two categories that did not visit ports in other countries, did not interact with other ships or ship catch for other fishing vessels, those that did not change their crew and were not inspected by foreign officials in the 30 days before their return to Taiwan are excluded from the quarantine measure, Chang said.    [FULL  STORY]