Taiwan's Matsu Receives New Patrol Boat

According to reports, the coast guard squad stationed on the island of Matsu has recently been equipped with a new 50-ton patrol boat that is expected to greatly boost the island's ability to catch Chinese poachers, coast guard officers said Monday.

With the new ship, the squad now operates a fleet of three 50- ton patrol boats that have a shallow draft, allowing them to cruise between the reefs surrounding Matsu to intercept the poachers, who often escape patrols by making for shallow water, the officers said. In the past, an increasing number of Chinese fishing boats have sneaked into the seas surrounding Matsu to poach, mostly with banned electric devices and explosives, according to the squad. Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific.