Taiwanese Purse Seiner Sinks In Pacific Ocean

Taiwanese-flagged purse seiner ‘Jih Yu No. 868’ sank in the South Pacific after catching fire on August 8, which resulted in the sinking of the vessel two days later. All 32 crew members were safely rescued, with no casualties or environmental pollution reported, according to the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB). It has appointed a task force to investigate the incident and classified the accident as a major marine occurrence under Taiwan’s Transportation Occurrence Investigation Act.

‘Jih Yu No.868’ is owned by Kaohsiung-based Chern Lung Fishery Co. Ltd. The 70-meter-long seiner had a 1,484 gross tonnage and 1,657 cubic meters fish hold capacity.