Suao - Dozens of Taiwanese fishing boats on Mon set sail for disputed East China Sea islands which can be also claimed by China and Japan and still have sent tensions between the 2 Asian powers soaring.
The fishermen make an effort to highlight Taiwan's claim over the uninhabited islands - known as Diaoyu in China but Senkaku in Japan - which lie 400km in the Okinawan capital of Naha as well as 200km from Taiwan.
The islands, which are administered by Japan, lie on vital shipping lanes and are considered to be located near potentially rich petrol fields.
The flotilla of 78 fishing boats for sale flying Taiwan flags and brandishing showing signs left Suao, a dock in northeast Taiwan, at 3 years ago: 00 GMT. They are supposed to arrive around dawn on Thursday.
Once there, they plan to sail inside Japan's 12-nautical-mile territorial zone surrounding the disputed islands.
Patrol fishing vessels
The numbers of vessels could swell, according to the activist class which organised the protest travel.
"I'm certain there will be based at other fishing ports to sign up us, " said Lin Cheng-an, a spokesperson for that Suao Fishermen's Association.
"Diaoyutai may be our traditional fishing ground since way back when. We pledge to use our lives to guard it or we'd disgrace each of our ancestors, " said Chen Chun-sheng, the head of the Suao association, in the weekend.
The departing boats carried signs written in Chinese people reading "Diaoyutai belongs to Taiwan" as well as "Fighting for fishing rights with regard to survival".
Taiwan's coastguard sent at least 10 patrol boats alongside your fishing vessels, an official using the Coast Guard Administration said.
Upon Sunday, more than 1 000 slogan-chanting Taiwanese activists and their supporters rallied outside the de facto Japanese embassy in Taipei, calling for a boycott of Japanese goods.
Tensions have mounted after Japan announced earlier this month so it had completed a planned purchase of a lot of the islands, prompting Taiwan to call to mind its envoy to Tokyo as well as triggering mass protests in China
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