While ROC Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Develops Dongsha as a Zero-Carbon Peaceful Island, Mainland China Coast Guard Escalates Harassment by Escorting Illegal Fishing Fleets

The ROC Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) stated today (March 25) that a fabricated news article circulating on Mainland Chinese social media, titled “Tense Standoff in Dongsha Waters—China Coast Guard Locks on Taiwan Patrol Ship, Suspected Radar Upgrade?”, falsely claimed that Mainland China Coast Guard vessels intercepted Taiwan’s military supply ship. TCGA categorically refutes these falsehoods, which are deliberate disinformation attempts intended to divert attention from Beijing’s ongoing illegal incursions. TCGA reaffirmed: Illegal fishing in Dongsha Atoll National Park must not be tolerated, and Mainland China Coast Guard support of environmental violators is unacceptable. "Surely even Beijing’s leadership would not wish to be branded an enemy of global marine sustainability," the statement said.
Dongsha Atoll is Taiwan’s first national marine park, designated as a strict no-fishing, no-angling marine conservation area. However, the atoll continues to suffer frequent intrusions by Mainland Chinese fishing vessels engaging in rampant illegal harvesting. Despite limited resources, TCGA remains steadfast in defending national sovereignty and marine resources. In past years, TCGA has repeatedly interdicted Mainland Chinese vessels for severe violations, including indiscriminate harvesting and mutilation of protected species such as green sea turtles—a string of acts that clearly document environmental abuses.
To safeguard Dongsha’s delicate ecosystem, TCGA has, since January 2025, driven out 77 Mainland Chinese fishing vessels incursions and detained 6 small boats. Enforcement has been firm but restrained, with actions focused on detaining smaller vessels and expelling larger mother ships in line with international norms. In many of these cases, Mainland China Coast Guard vessels illegally entered Taiwan’s Restricted Area to obstruct law enforcement efforts, circling within those zones to provide cover for illegal fishing—a flagrant affront to marine conservation principles and a provocative challenge to Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Dongsha Atoll is a coral reef system formed over millions of years, nurturing a rich biodiversity of coral and marine life, and is often referred to as the "Jewel of the South China Sea." However, unregulated plundering by Mainland Chinese fishing vessels threatens to destroy this fragile marine sanctuary overnight, risking irreversible damage. Militarization and environmental indifference will only devastate Dongsha’s vibrant coral systems, and enabling such actions amounts to becoming a bodyguard for ecological outlaws. TCGA strongly condemns this uncivilized and regressive behavior.
Moreover, Mainland China Coast Guard’s repeated interference in Taiwan’s maritime law enforcement efforts not only escalates cross-strait tensions, but also undermines regional peace and stability. TCGA reiterates its unyielding stance: TCGA will continue to patrol Dongsha waters around the clock, conduct vigilant monitoring of Mainland Chinese maritime activity, and take firm action to uphold national sovereignty and ensure the long-term sustainability of Dongsha’s precious marine ecosystem.