Inland countries, such as Mongolia, and maritime ones, such as the Republic of China (Taiwan), vary widely in terms of their natural endowments, reliance on certain natural and human resources, and economic development and diversity. However, in terms of the ecological consequence the international community has to face and bear due to   some unbalanced human activities and national approaches to manage the delicate relations between environmental protection and economic development, the demarcation line between maritime and inland states seems to be rather irrelevant for that they all have a stake in sustaining the “global commons”. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which has caused significant declines of some stocks, is just one of those pressing issues facing that commons. Therefore, Taiwan’s upgraded effort to tackle the IUU fishing issue deserves more international attentions.                             

To address the policy and the task of the common fight against IUU fishing with international community, preventing IUU fishing from happening, prohibiting IUU fish or fisheries products from entering into market and other relevant issues, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has established the Combating IUU Task Force under the Executive Yuan (the executive branch of the state).

The ROC Executive Yuan has appointed the Minister without Portfolio, Hon. Jing-sen CHANG, as the Chairperson of the Task Force, and the members of the Task Force include the deputy Ministers of the Council of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as COA), Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Communications, Finance, Justice, Economics, Health and Welfare, and the deputy Director-General of the Coast Guard Administration. The Task Force will be in charge of (1) integrating and coordinating overall strategies of the common fight against IUU fishing with international community and of preventing IUU fishing from happening and prohibiting IUU fish or fisheries products from entering into market; (2) consulting and deliberating critical issues of the fight and of stopping IUU fishing and prohibiting the related products from entering into market; and (3) supervising the critical issues such as the plans of combating IUU fishing or the implementation of important measures. In addition, there is a subordinate Cross-Ministerial Working Group which will assist the Task Force to address such issues as the adjustment of relevant domestic regulations and the coordination on a cross-ministerial base.

National Plan of Control and Inspection for Fisheries (NPCI) was adopted and effective implementation of relevant fisheries management measures is expected

In order to actively undertake relevant cross-ministerial tasks of tackling IUU fishing, the subordinate Working Group had held meeting on October 18, 2016 discussing the draft of NPCI, and then the draft of NPCI was delivered to the Task Force for deliberation and approval on October 25. After the approval of the NPCI, it will be put in practice immediately. The management measures of the NPCI include important fisheries management measures such as permit of distant water fisheries, port control, vessel monitoring system, e-logbook system, at-sea boarding and inspection, national fisheries observer, transshipment control, landing declaration, designated foreign ports inspection, audit on trading companies and processing plant, fish products certificate, etc. In addition, the NPCI also set the monitoring and inspection benchmark according to the risk of potential IUU fishing activities. The aforementioned measures will be collectively implemented by the Fisheries Agency of the COA with other relevant ministries in the future.

Approved critical cross-ministerial issues of fisheries management will be integrated, coordinated and implemented by the Task Force

The critical cross-ministerial issues of fisheries management will be discussed and addressed by both the Working Group and the Task Force. Through the cross-ministerial platform of the Task Force, the following critical management issues will be continually discussed and coordinated, and further reach the consensus among the ministries:

1. Port control on foreign flagged fishing vessels and the carrier vessels carrying fish or fisheries products;

2. Control of traceability of the trade of fish or fisheries products;

3. At-sea boarding and inspection;

4. Designated foreign port inspection;

5. Investigation and control of distant water fisheries operating abroad.

Combating IUU fishing for ensuring sustainable marine fisheries resources

For the purpose of conserving sustainable marine fisheries resources, combating IUU fishing should be the common goal among members of the international community. Through the responsible fisheries of the flag States, the port control of the port States and the management of traceability of fish or fisheries products entering into market of the market States, all “stakeholders” in one of the many global movements towards ecological sustainability are able to collectively build an integrative and intensified fisheries management measures to fight against IUU fishing.

In addition to efficiently and effectively integrating the management capacity of relevant ministries through the Task Force, Taiwan, as a responsible stakeholder and indispensable partner in this fight, will continually cooperate with the port States, the market States and regional fisheries management organizations for the purpose of conserving sustainable marine fisheries resources.

Taipei Trade and Economic

Representative Office in Ulaanbaatar