Taiwan joins North Pacific fisheries body

2015/08/27

Taiwan was admitted Aug. 25 to the North Pacific Fisheries Commission, a milestone development in further protecting the country’s interests in international waters.

Membership enables Taiwan to make significant contributions in promoting sustainable development of marine resources throughout the region. It also allows the nation to fully participate in the decision-making process of the Tokyo-headquartered intergovernmental organization.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the move, describing it as representing a real opportunity for the government to influence fishing practices and further safeguard the rights of the country’s fishermen.

“We look forward to Taiwan taking its place at the commission’s inaugural meeting Sept. 3 in Tokyo,” a MOFA official said.

According to the Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture, Taiwan is a major player in the North Pacific, with more than 90 saury fishing boats operating in the region. The country’s 230,000-ton haul last year, representing roughly NT$5 billion (US$152 million) in output value, ranked it No. 1 in the world for catches of the highly sought-after fish.

NPFC was created via the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean, which took effect last month. Its founding members include Canada, Japan, Russia, South Korea and mainland China.

This is the fourth time for Taiwan to join an international fisheries organization, following the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=234230&ctNode=413)