The purpose of this Act is to ensure the conservation of marine fisheries resources, strengthen distant water fisheries management, curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and improve traceability of catches and fisheries products, so as to promote the sustainable operation of distant water fisheries. The Act consist of 47 Articles divided into 5 Chapters: General Provisions (I); Distant Water Fisheries Permit and Management (II); Development and Guidance on Distant Water Fisheries (III); Penalties(IV); Supplemental Provisions (V). The competent authority shall develop national plans of actions, taking reference with international conventions, on the matters such as: (1) Conservation, management, utilization and maintenance of maximum sustainable yield of marine fisheries resources; (2) Measures in response to the change of marine fisheries resources and marine ecosystem; (3) Goals for sustainable operation, development strategies and implementing steps for distant water fisheries; (4) Measures to balance the fishing capacity and the marine fisheries resources; (5) Prevention, deterrence and elimination of IUU fishing; etc. (art.5) . In order to engage in distant water fisheries, a person shall obtain the fishing license and apply to the competent authority for the issuance of distant water fisheries permit (art.6). Any fishing vessel of distant water fisheries shall comply with conservation and management measures and international standards for fishing on the high seas (art.10). Any fishing vessel of distant water fisheries shall not conduct transshipment in-port or at-sea or landing in-port without authorization of the competent authority. The competent authority may dispatch personnel or commission professional institution(s) to conduct on-site inspection on the operations (art.11). Remaining Articles make provisions for the cooperation with international fisheries organizations or other countries to prevent and deter IUU fishing, the items of activities, methods of catching or harvesting aquatic organisms, catch certificates, operating areas, conditions and procedures on the entering and leaving port for fishing vessels, qualifications of fishing vessel officer or pilot, duties of inspection officers, requirements for the business operators that intends to conduct export trade of catches or fisheries products of distant water fisheries, etc.
Taiwan Province of China · 2016-07-20