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Ma says he will establish ministry of ocean affairs

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) outlined his marine policies yesterday, saying he would establish a ministry of ocean affairs if he were elected next month.

Ma made his announcement at Shenao (深澳) fishing port, Taipei County, after taking a cruise on a fishing boat.

He asserted Taiwan's claim to the Spratly Islands (南沙群島), but said nations involved in a dispute over the islands should cooperate to preserve the environment.

The Spratly Islands, a string of rocky outcrops in the South China Sea that are thought to be rich in oil and gas deposits, are claimed either entirely or in part by China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Ma agreed with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who said during a visit to the Spratlys that the sovereignty dispute should be replaced by joint environmental protection efforts.

He also outlined a strategy that would assert sovereignty over disputed islands in the South China Sea and East China Sea so as to secure fishing rights.

Ma said he hoped marine industries would contribute 5 percent of GDP within five years.

He said his government would crack down on Chinese vessels fishing in Taiwanese waters, a problem he said was rampant, and advised the Taiwanese fishing industry to decrease its crippling dependence on Chinese workers.

Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday that the green camp "didn't know whether to laugh or cry," since the KMT had voted against such proposals a total of 46 times.

The pan-green camp has made continuous efforts since 2002 to push for a Executive Yuan reorganization and the inclusion of an ocean ministry, but pan-blue legislators repeatedly blocked the plan, Lai said.

It was laughable that Ma should now play the ocean policy card, since the KMT had always seen moves to form such an organization as pro-independence and was therefore against them, he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
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