Taiwan to crack down on fishing boats with ‘illegal’ BeiDou satnav systems
- Banned equipment found on board seized vessel renews security concerns on the island over the mainland-based GPS alternative
- Taiwanese fisheries agency warns of fines and confiscations for breaching ban on the satellite navigation system, in place since 2018
The Taiwanese fisheries agency said on Tuesday that the fishers would be fined and their equipment confiscated as a penalty for breaching the BeiDou ban, imposed in 2018 when the satellite network’s global service went live.
The agency said Taipei’s National Communications Commission (NCC) had asked for a multipronged awareness campaign to remind the fishing community that possession of BeiDou terminals is illegal under the Telecommunications Management Act.
“Working together with local governments, fishermen’s associations and fisheries radio stations, we will continue to educate fishermen to prevent violations of the relevant telecommunications law,” it said.
According to the fisheries agency, the NCC has been coordinating with customs and the coastguard since 2018 to search fishing boats, confiscate BeiDou devices and hand the operators to the commission for punishment.
The BeiDou system is operated by the Beijing-based China National Space Administration and was developed in response to the People’s Liberation Army’s demand for an alternative to GPS, which is run by the US military.