About 50 Taiwanese fishing boats staged a protest in the Suao Sea Thursday against Japan's occupation of the traditional fishing grounds of Taiwan fishermen.

The protest also aimed to direct Taiwanese authorities' attention to the issue, Taiwan media reported.

The fishermen complained that their fishing boats have been frequently forced to leave waters that they claimed as their own. Taiwan authorities have never acted on the behalf of fishermen to solve the problem nor lodged a complaint against Japan's actions, the media said.

Fishermen in Suao District, Ilan County, called upon the group of fishing boats earlier Thursday morning to gather at a place 31 kilometers due north of Yonakuni-Jima Island of Japan.

Many of the boats flew white banners that accused Japan of an " invasion of our traditional fishing grounds" and urged them to " care for fishermen's livelihoods and welfare."

No clash occurred between the fishermen and the Japanese coast guard since Japan monitored the protest by surveillance aircraft, the media said.

According to the media, Japan has detained 13 Taiwanese fishing boats since 2001 and the boat owners and relatives of detained fishermen had to pay 4 million to 5 million Japanese yen for the release of the fishermen and boats.

Source: Xinhua