Taiwan's coast guard has seized a Chinese fishing boat that had crossed the line to fish in waters off Taichung, and expelled two foreign-flagged tankers engaged in an illegal oil transfer, pointing to continued escalation in grey-zone friction in the Taiwan Strait and in marine pollution risks.

• Within the restricted waters off Taichung, the coast guard seized a Chinese-registered steel-hulled fishing boat that had its vessel name painted over and was operating at night; its seven Chinese crew members were escorted back to Taiwan for investigation.
• Nearly one metric tonne of catch was found on board, and fines will be imposed under the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area on the grounds of infringement of Taiwan's fishery resources.
• Separately, two Sierra Leone-registered tankers were found in waters west of Taichung Port with their oil hoses connected and no spill-prevention measures in place while conducting an illegal oil transfer; they were expelled after evidence was gathered.
• The oil transfer case will be referred for penalties under the Marine Pollution Control Act, with investigators also tracing the vessels' routes and the source of the oil.

Outlook: Enforcement against Chinese fishing boats crossing the line and against illegal oil transfers at sea is expected to be stepped up further, with tracing the source of the oil the next focus.