The nation’s ability to conduct marine science, detect new energy sources and measure environmental change has suffered a major blow after a maritime research vessel sank on Friday, leaving two dead.
The Ocean Researcher V sank in stormy waters around 8:11pm, less than three hours after it first issued a distress call, said Chi Wen-jong (祁文中), director-general of the Maritime and Port Bureau.
The NT$1.46 billion (US$47.98 million), 2,700 tonne Ocean Researcher V is the largest research ship Taiwan owns, known for its state-of-the-art equipment and ability to operate in bad weather.
Photo montage: CNA
The ship had a remotely operated underwater vehicle that could descend to depths of 3,000m to search for the existence of fossil fuels such as natural gas and methane clathrate, experts said.
National Cheng Kung University marine technology professor Kao Chia-chuen (高家俊) said the ship was the most advanced maritime research vessel Taiwan had, and was mainly used for reef exploration.
Kao, who supervised the construction of the vessel, said findings by the ship could have contributed to Taiwan’s biofuel and hydrology studies, which were of great value to national security.
The ship collected and ignited high-density methane off southwest Taiwan last year, paving the way for the country’s energy exploration.
The ship was also able to analyze levels of marine pollutants and identify plate movements to assist in the prediction of earthquakes or tsunamis, experts said.
Besides the loss of hardware, the death of Hsu Shih-chieh (許世傑), a research fellow at the Academia Sinica, was also seen as a great loss to the field of marine science.
Hsu, 47, had spent the past decade studying marine particulate matter in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and was one of the top five experts in the field in Taiwan, said Liu Shaw-cheng (劉紹臣), director of the Research Center for Environmental Changes at Academia Sinica.
Another member of the crew, Lin Y-chun (林怡君), 30, passed away. According to her direct superior, the ship’s investigation division chief Yang Yi (楊益), Lin was very passionate about maritime affairs.
At a press conference yesterday, Minister of Science and Technology Simon Chang (張善政) stressed the importance of having a research vessel of the caliber of the Ocean Researcher V to the nation and said the ministry and related agencies would hold discussions about whether to repair it or build another vessel.
Chang said the loss of the ship would affect a total of 13 projects originally scheduled until August next year.
Additional reporting by Liu Yu-ching and Tsai Ying
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not