The first group of mainland fisheries workers hired by Taiwanese fishing boat owners under a new screening system arrived in Taiwan Wednesday.

The 48 mainland workers, the first group hired under an agreement on fishing crew cooperation signed by Taiwan and the mainland last December, were ferried to the Danshuei second fishing port in northern Taiwan's Taipei County from Fujian Province.

Soon after the mainland workers arrived, security inspectors from the Maritime Patrol Directorate General under the Coast Guard Administration boarded the boat to confirm their identities.

Five of the workers got off in Danshuei and immediately underwent health exams and had their personal documents and luggage checked.

The other workers were later dropped off at the ports of Yehliu (20) and Shenao (8) in Taipei County, Badouzih (6) in Keelung City, and Daxi (9) in Yilan County, according to the Fisheries Agency.

They had all been hired in advance by local fishing boat owners through qualified manpower brokerage agencies.

Before the agreement on fishing crew cooperation was signed late last year, mainlanders working on Taiwanese fishing boats were not allowed to set foot in Taiwan. They had to stay on fishing boats or so-called "hotels on the sea" off the Taiwan's coast.

The agreement also enables local fishing boats to better screen mainland workers before they hire. Previously, no mechanism existed to systematically check the identities, backgrounds or health of the mainlanders they employed.

Since the pact was signed on Dec 22, 2009, 14 brokerage agencies, including the Taiwan Provincial Fishermen's Association, was approved to introduce fisheries workers from the mainland to Taiwan, the agency said.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 04/29/2010 page4)