TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Monday condemned Chinese fishing vessels for illegally entering Taiwan’s waters and engaging in cyanide fishing.

Speaking at the International Conference on Marine Environmental Management, Kuan said Taiwan recently detained a Chinese vessel at Dongsha Atoll National Park with cyanide onboard, per CNA. She accused Chinese fishers of using cyanide to poison fish and destroying marine habitats.

Kuan pledged that Taiwan will continue enforcing maritime law, including detaining offending vessels. She said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea must be followed to safeguard rights and ecosystems.

“China's actions in our jurisdictional waters are mostly harassment, not enforcement,” she said. Kuan stressed that law enforcement authority lies with Taiwan, which has made major efforts to protect its waters and combat crime.

The minister urged China to cease these "petty actions," which she described as “meaningless and merely intended for domestic or international propaganda.” 

Kuan also announced Taiwan will gradually strengthen maritime surveillance, beginning with drones and later expanding to manned aircraft. She said this step-by-step approach will steadily increase monitoring capacity.

The minister called on China to cooperate on marine debris issues around Kinmen and Matsu. She urged Beijing to look beyond politics and work jointly to tackle waste management.