A Legislative Yuan committee passed a proposal on Monday paving the way for the country’s participation in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), or the Antigua Convention, as a full member under the title Chinese Taipei.
The IATTC, which is an international grouping that deals with tuna fishing matters, comprises 16 member states: the US, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, France, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Vanuatu.
Seven other countries and areas, including Taiwan, Canada, the EU, China, Belize, the Cook Islands and Kiribati, have taken part in IATTC activities as “cooperating non-members.”
Taiwan, which has a major fishing industry, was allowed by the group to join the Antigua Convention as a full member during an IATTC meeting held in Antigua, Guatemala, in June 2003.
Member states and contracting parties also decided at the meeting that the IATTC will be regrouped and renamed as the Antigua Convention.
At the meeting, IATTC members agreed that Taiwan, as a “fishing entity,” should be admitted into the Antigua Convention as a full member with the name “Chinese Taipei” — to be effective when the Antigua Convention takes effect, Vice Foreign Minister Lin Yung-lo (林永樂) said.
A full membership at the Antigua Convention means that Taiwan will have the right to vote and be elected as the convention’s secretary-general, Lin said.
“In addition to having Taiwan’s tuna fishing rights in the eastern Pacific Ocean area better protected, the membership will also mark a giant step in efforts to expand Taiwan’s diplomatic fronts,” Lin said.
After the legislative decision on Monday, Lin offered his appreciation to the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan for passing the proposal.
He also said he hoped the proposal would clear the legislative floor before August as the Antigua Convention is scheduled to become effective on Aug. 27.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS