The Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, which is in charge of the Cabinet’s organizational reform, has said that a maritime council will be established to handle increasingly complex maritime affairs. The council will mainly consist of the Coast Guard Administration and will not include the Fisheries Agency. In short, fishery matters will not be its primary task. This differs from President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign promise to establish an ocean ministry and has caused some academics to pen articles showing their concern.
Global population growth, environmental pollution and disappearing resources mean that in addition to tourism, shipping, national defense and commercial activities, oceans — which cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface — have become a vital source of food and energy. Attaining sustainable development of marine resources through integrated maritime management and international cooperation should therefore be one of the main tasks of a maritime agency. The current division of duties among different government agencies has made it difficult to draft maritime policies. A maritime agency should be a decision-making — rather than simply a coordinating — body.
The agency’s status in the government hierarchy must reflect the importance of the ocean to the nation’s general development. One example is Japan, whose national development is closely aligned with the ocean. About 40 percent of animal protein ingested by Japanese comes from marine products, and 99 percent of its trade depends on sea transport.
The living environment in Japan has increasingly been under threat from a worsening ocean environment, a low energy self-sufficiency rate, shrinking marine resources, potential threats to maritime transport lines and natural disasters. Moreover, disputes over oil exploration in the East China Sea with China, South Korea and Russia and the issue of delimiting exclusive economic zones have prompted strong public calls that the government strengthen its maritime power.
A thorough examination showed that Japan’s maritime strategy was weak because policy management was fragmented given the large number of government agencies involved. To solve this problem, Tokyo drew up a Basic Ocean Law and formulated a Basic Plan for the Ocean. It set up a Headquarters for Comprehensive Ocean Policy headed by the prime minister and appointed an ocean policy minister to formulate and implement cross-ministry maritime policies, including the use and preservation of fisheries and marine resources, protection of territorial waters and enforcement of marine security. These measures, designed to streamline, strengthen and integrate maritime policies, show Japan’s determination to become a modern maritime state.
Policy developments in the EU have a different emphasis, stressing that for humankind to handle its relations with the sea it is necessary to develop innovative maritime industries and encouraging policymakers to take an innovative approach. Instead of just thinking how they could exploit the seas, they need to view the ocean as an organic whole, and all members must employ a far-sighted vision in formulating new maritime policies.
In Taiwan, the government has always had a rather shallow understanding of maritime affairs, and talk of building a maritime state has been little more than a political totem. Bureaucrats are more concerned with their own status and prospects for promotion. Unless there is a shake-up in the system, laws and mindset, it does not matter whether we set up a “maritime council” or an “ocean ministry,” Taiwan will be an island nation, but it will remain a long way from being a maritime nation.
Du Yu is the chief executive officer of the Chen-Li Task Force for Agricultural Reform.
TRANSLATED BY TED YANG AND JULIAN CLEGG
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