The director of the information division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New Zealand, Chyi Chiou, said his office took the allegations seriously and had referred the ODT report to Taiwan's Fisheries Agency "for further investigation and verification".
In June, Lee Stream helicopter pilot Brian Grant described to the ODT his experiences at sea, including events that occurred when he was on board a Taiwanese vessel arrested for illegal fishing and fish-dumping.
Mr Grant said the charges were laid because the captain of the vessel and the observer on board could not agree on the size of the bribe that should be paid to the observer.
He described some observers he encountered as "very, very good" but 90% as "either lazy, incompetent or corrupt".
The regional observer programme where Mr Grant was working is administered by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
Mr Grant detailed a long list of irregularities by vessels of various nationalities, including the catching of whales and turtles, rubbish dumping and poor treatment of crew.
Mr Chyi told the ODT in an email Taiwan was "fully committed" to sustainable fishing and its vessels were required to comply with international standards.
He said Taiwan law prohibited dumping of small fish and "any dumping must be reported and signed off by observers on board".
Sea turtles had to be "promptly released" and no rubbish dumping was allowed.
"Any Taiwanese vessel involved in illegal fishing activities, if proven, will be punished according to the law."
