Kaohsiung: A Coast Guard vessel returned to Kaohsiung after completing a 46-day patrol mission to monitor Taiwanese fishing vessels operating in the high seas, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said.
According to Focus Taiwan, the “Offshore Flotilla 7” departed Kaohsiung Port on July 25 for a patrol mission in the Pacific Ocean, covering areas under the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Both commissions were established to conserve and manage fisheries resources, of which Taiwan is a member.
The vessel covered more than 8,198 nautical miles, approximately 15,200 kilometers. Coast guard personnel, along with fisheries inspectors from the Fisheries Agency (FA), boarded six Taiwan-flagged distant-water fishing vessels to check for any involvement in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other unlawful activities.
The patrol aimed to uphold fisheries order for Taiwanese vessels operating in the high seas of the western, central, and northern Pacific. The CGA emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to conserving fisheries resources and stated that they will continue working with the FA to monitor distant-water vessels, ensure the safety of fishermen, and maintain order on the high seas.
The CGA noted that this was the second such long-distance mission carried out this year.
