Taiwan is one of the world’s top 20 fishing countries and one of the most important fishing countries fishing on the high seas. According to the FAO Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas (Compliance Agreement): “All States have the right for their nationals to engage in fishing on the high seas, subject to the relevant rules of international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea... the objective...can be achieved through specifying flag States’ responsibility in respect to fishing vessels entitled to fly their flags and operating on the high seas, including the authorization by the flag State of such operations, as well as through strengthened international cooperation and increased transparency through the exchange of information on high seas fishing...”.

             This Agency thus proposed the “Deep Sea Fisheries Sustainable Development Plan” to ensure the sustainable development of Taiwan’s deep sea fisheries by enhancing the fisheries management capacity, controlling of fishing capacity, and strengthening the capacity in fisheries resource management and research, thus enabling Taiwan to become a leading country in fisheries management.

1.       Plan Objective

1.1.      To encourage deep sea fishing vessels to comply with the international measures.

1.2.      To continue participating in international organizations and protect the rights and interests of deep sea fishing vessels.

1.3.      To ensure safety operations of fishing vessels and fishermen and thereby creating a superb fishing environment.

1.4.      To enhance the research quality of fisheries resource and thereby improving Taiwan’s leadership in the international fisheries.

1.5.      To develop the superb image of Taiwan’s fishery products thereby expanding the domestic and international markets for Taiwan’s fishery products.

2.       Strategy Implementation Methods

         According to international law, no country should authorize its deep sea fishing vessels to fish on the high seas, unless it has the capacity to manage them. However, the situation inTaiwanis somewhat different. Entrepreneurs have already developed huge deep sea fishing fleets, and therefore, it is necessary for the government to enhance its management capacity, assume its fisheries management responsibility, and enhance the capacity of fisheries research, in order to enable Taiwan to become a leading country in fisheries management. The Deep Sea Fisheries Sustainable Development Plan proposed by this Agency is intended to be ongoing and in response to the future change in environment it will continue to be implemented under the Deep Sea Fisheries and Industrial Restructuring Plan.

Strategy 1:     To continue implementing the MCS (monitor, control and surveillance) policy and combating IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing.

Strategy 2:     To allocate budget for continued participation in international fisheries meetings for securing fishing quota and fishing opportunities.

Strategy 3:     To comply with international management measures, in line with international management trends.

Strategy 4:     To transfer fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to other oceans in order to address the growing incidents of piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Strategy 5:   To improve the quality of crewmembers on fishing vessels through intensified training in order to maintain the safe operations of fishing  vessels.

Strategy 6:     To enhance the quality of Taiwan’s catch statistics and capacity in fisheries research, for use as important reference for international fisheries    resource management, and to improve research and studies on international law and policies. 

Strategy 7:     To seek for closer cooperation with the Pacific Islands countries and other coastal countries, in order to secure the existing fishing grounds for  the  operations of fishing vessels.

Strategy 8:   To reinforce the sanitary and safety accreditation for deep sea fishing vessels, to engage in strategic alliance and diversified marketing for  fishery products at home and abroad.