The Organization Act of the Ocean Affairs Council (海洋委員會組織法) and the organization acts of the council’s three agencies — the Coast Guard Administration, the Ocean Conservation Administration and the National Academy for Ocean Research — were passed last year and it was big news for the field of ocean affairs, since there was finally a legal basis on which institutes charged with managing oceanic affairs can operate.
The legislature recently decided to defer the implementation of these laws until May 20, when president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is sworn in, to let the incoming government decide how to implement them. The decision can be seen as an opportunity for the new government to map out its marine policies and consolidate administrative resources for ocean affairs.
Ocean affairs are complicated and involve many authorities. It would be a great challenge for the council to effectively integrate administrative resources, divide responsibilities and maximize the power of the authorities.
For example, the Organization Act of the Ocean Affairs Council stipulates that the council would be charged with the overall planning, coordination and promotion of the development of marine industries, but there is a huge and diverse number of them, such as fisheries, shipping and shipbuilding, that already operate in Taiwan, along with cruise liners and marine energy, which could come into being in the future. This raises the question of how the council would divide or share duties with existing authorities? Is the council going to be in charge of the emerging industries as well?
Answering these questions requires a comprehensive review of the responsibilities and functions of the authorities.
The National Academy for Ocean Research should integrate the research capacities of institutes and agencies, such as the National Applied Research Laboratories’ Taiwan Ocean Research Institute and the Council of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute.
With regard to marine conservation, the council should integrate and divide administrative resources for marine conservation and the sustainable management of resources that are now scattered across various agencies, and address the responsibilities for the protected areas, for which no authority is responsible.
Ocean governance and economy are two main topics being talked about in international ocean affairs. The former has harmonic usage of the ocean and a sustainable marine environment as its goals, while the latter aims to establish ocean economies that are based on economic growth, social fairness and environmental friendliness.
It is hoped that the legislature’s decision to postpone the implementation of the laws will give the new government sufficient time to create an ocean affairs management mechanism that puts the council in charge of addressing the two subjects, with the support of other agencies.
To accomplish that, it is necessary to make an inventory of administrative resources for ocean affairs and then choose the resources to be given to the council. Moreover, it should also be asked: What kind of resources should the council fight for to address future responsibilities?
It will take time for different agencies to negotiate and work out the best solution, but people who are interested in the matter are willing to wait and believe that by waiting they can have a council that has clearly defined responsibilities and can work in unison with other authorities.
Chen Chung-ling is an associate professor in the Institute of Ocean Technology and Marine Affairs at National Cheng Kung University.
Translated by Ethan Zhan
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