ROC establishes fund to support development of fishing industry in Pacific island nations
ROC establishes fund to support
development of fishing industry in Pacific island
nations
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.