December 1, 2014
No. 259
The Republic of China (Taiwan) announced December 1 at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) that it had established the Chinese Taipei Trust Fund, a special fund of US$2 million to be spent over five years assisting the fishing industries of developing nations, particularly Small Island Developing States.
A founding member of the WCPFC, the Republic of China has long sought out opportunities to cooperate with the fishing industries of other nations, and has helped developing nations expand their fishing industries. The establishment of this fund will help the commission live out the spirit of its Convention as well as related resolutions concerning island nations’ development and the effective conservation and management of fishing stocks.
The fund is to be used in support of developing members’ plans to upgrade their fishing industries, and will benefit many of the Republic of China’s diplomatic partners in the Pacific. Especially targeted are means to improve government oversight of the fishing industry and help fishermen increase their catch. Based on individual members’ needs, funds may be earmarked for personnel and technical training, with an eye to bolstering monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) capabilities. This, in turn, will help the WCPFC achieve its goal of sustained development as set forth in its Convention.
The WCPFC is a scheme to conserve and manage highly migratory fishing stocks in the international waters of the western and central Pacific and ensure the sustainable management of marine resources. The WCPFC Convention came into force on June 19, 2004, while the ROC acceded to the body as “Chinese Taipei” on November 2 of the same year. The ROC dispatched a delegation to the WCPFC’s inaugural meeting. Participation in the body has helped the nation protect the extensive interests of its fishermen in the region. In the future, the ROC will continue to work through the fund to bolster cooperation with other Commission members and, by adhering to the spirit of cooperating on marine resources, create a win-win situation for all members. These efforts also result in greater participation by the nation in multilateral cooperation projects that have both regional and global ramifications. (E)