Taiwan has donated US$230,000 to St. Christopher and Nevis (St. Kitts) for the purchase of a modern fishing vessel to help the Caribbean diplomatic ally develop its fisheries industry, Caribbean Net News reported on Thursday.
The 12.19m vessel will be equipped with modern equipment to enable a crew of more than three to operate on the open seas for a week, unlike traditional boats that have been used by the islands' fishermen for centuries that only allow them to do day fishing in coastal areas, the Web site said.
The report quoted Hermia Morton Anthony, standing secretary of Saint Christopher and Nevis' Ministry of Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries, as saying he is grateful for US$230,000 donation that was promised during St. Christopher and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas' visit to Taiwan last year.
Morton also expressed his appreciation to Taiwanese Ambassador Liu Chen-kun (
Morton said the country was hoping to purchase a second fishing vessel of the same kind to further bolster the nation's fisheries industry.
The report also quoted Joseph Simmonds, a senior Ministry of Housing, Agriculture, and Fisheries official, as saying that Taiwanese fishery officials have promised to dispatch experts to help train St. Christopher and Nevis fishermen in deep sea fishing and other skills needed to work aboard the new vessel.
Liu said in an interview with Caribbean Net News that in his two years in St. Cristopher and Nevis he had noticed that most of the fresh seafood in local markets had been imported.
The new boat will help St. Kitts' fishermen increase their catch and help reduce the country's reliance on imports, thereby conserving foreign exchange reserves, Liu said.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS