Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) yesterday condemned Chinese fishers for using cyanide and urged them to respect the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Speaking to reporters after the International Conference on Marine Environmental Management in Taipei, Kuan made the remarks following the seizure of a Chinese vessel carrying cyanide by the Coast Guard Administration for illegally operating near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea.
Cyanide fishing involves spraying a sodium cyanide mixture into a habitat to stun fish for capture. The practice harms not only the target species, but also other marine organisms, including coral reefs.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Affairs Council
All countries must respect UNCLOS, she said, condemning China’s violations of international law and vowing that Taiwan would firmly defend its waters.
Kuan said Taiwan would work to enhance its maritime surveillance capabilities, starting with the development of drones before progressively expanding to crewed aircraft.
Meanwhile, she also disclosed that the council’s latest National Ocean Policy White Paper would be released at the end of this month.
The white paper is released annually in accordance with the Ocean Basic Act (海洋基本法). It serves as the blueprint for the government’s ocean policy, outlining Taiwan’s vision for marine development and its policy objectives.
Marine environmental management encompasses plastic waste, climate change, overfishing and emerging sources of pollution, she said, adding that only through international cooperation, institutional development and technological application can these issues be effectively addressed.
Although the council has only been in existence for seven years, it has implemented mechanisms for ocean monitoring and data sharing, Kuan said.
Yesterday’s conference brought together experts from the US, France, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, as well as various Taiwanese academics, focusing on key issues such as marine environmental protection, pollution prevention, waste management, water and sediment quality management, and international cooperation.
They included representatives from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Pacific Strike Team of the US Coast Guard National Strike Force, the Marine Debris Research Center of Hawaii Pacific University, France’s Center of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution, Japan’s Marine Disaster Prevention Center, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies of Japan and the South Korean Fisheries Resources Agency.
During the event, a memorandum of agreement was signed between Taiwan and Indonesia that aims to deepen the two nations’ partnership in marine debris management and lay a solid foundation for sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific region.
Additional reporting by Hung Ting-hung
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