Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday inaugurated the National Academy of Marine Research in Kaohsiung, saying that it would boost the nation’s international participation in ocean affairs.
Establishment of the academy, which is overseen by the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), comes almost a year after the council was established on April 28 last year.
The academy is tasked with planning ocean-related policy, assembling research and developing marine industries, Chen said.
Photo: CNA
It is also expected to boost connections between the nation and the global community by increasing participation at conferences and organizations, he said, adding that he hopes it would lead Taiwan to become a safe and prosperous maritime nation.
Academy Acting Director-General Chiu Yung-fang (邱永芳), a professor in National Sun Yat-sen University’s department of marine environment and engineering, accepted the agency’s seal from OAC Minister Lee Chung-wei (李仲威).
The Executive Yuan has authorized the academy to hire 80 officials, but it has only recruited 15, academy spokesperson Lin Shih-chang (林世昌) said.
The academy’s focus this year includes drafting a sea area management bill for areas beyond 3 nautical miles (5.4km) of the nation’s coastline, as well as conducting research on ocean current energy generation and marine geology in waters off the southeastern coast, Lin said.
The academy said in a press release that it also plans to build a fleet of ocean research vessels, which might mean its mission could overlap with the Taiwan Ocean Research Institute of the National Applied Research Laboratories.
The academy would seek to collaborate with the institute, as the latter has more research resources, Lin said.
Decisions on building vessels would be determined by higher authorities, he said.
It would be better for the nation to have different agencies managing official and non-official research vessels, an academic said on condition of anonymity.
A vessel’s basic information, including whether it is government-owned, can be viewed on the global Automatic Identification System, while its identity would influence its activity in territorial waters of foreign nations, the academic said.
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