President Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he wanted to set up an Ocean Ministry and devote more funds to the coast guard. Speaking during a visit to Kaohsiung Harbor to watch coast guard anti-terrorism drills, Ma said the government would first form a Committee for Ocean Affairs, then upgrade it to an Ocean Ministry.
In 2017, the government should spend NT$25 billion on strengthening the coast guard’s equipment, Ma said, according to reports in the Chinese-language United Evening News.
Taiwan was an ocean island nation, but the first thing it needed to do was to change the thinking that only the Navy was responsible for guarding its coast, Ma said. The Coast Guard Administration also had a key role to play, because the Navy was not enough, according to the president.
Ma did not propose a timetable for forming the new departments, but the government is currently preparing a restructuring of the Executive Yuan, which would mostly result in the abolition and merger of several commissions.
The drills near Kaohsiung’s Hsin Kuang Pier Sunday morning, named as “Sea Peace No.5,” involved action against the hijacking of a ship, the prevention of sea pollution, and a sea rescue mission.
One of the scenarios involved terrorists hijacking a yacht and an oil tanker during Kaohsiung’s World Games next month. The Coast Guard sent in frogmen to board the yacht and free the hostages after a helicopter attack. They also had to prevent the terrorists from blowing up the tanker. They also had to prevent any oil from the tanker from spreading and causing an environmental disaster.
The Coast Guard mobilized a total of 995 staff, 37 ships and eight helicopters to participate in the event, reports said. Because its strength was still not enough to face future challenges, Taiwan would have to equip its coast guard with ships of more than 2,000 tons, Ma reportedly said.
In 2017, the government should spend NT$25 billion on strengthening the coast guard’s equipment, Ma said, according to reports in the Chinese-language United Evening News.
Taiwan was an ocean island nation, but the first thing it needed to do was to change the thinking that only the Navy was responsible for guarding its coast, Ma said. The Coast Guard Administration also had a key role to play, because the Navy was not enough, according to the president.
Ma did not propose a timetable for forming the new departments, but the government is currently preparing a restructuring of the Executive Yuan, which would mostly result in the abolition and merger of several commissions.
The drills near Kaohsiung’s Hsin Kuang Pier Sunday morning, named as “Sea Peace No.5,” involved action against the hijacking of a ship, the prevention of sea pollution, and a sea rescue mission.
One of the scenarios involved terrorists hijacking a yacht and an oil tanker during Kaohsiung’s World Games next month. The Coast Guard sent in frogmen to board the yacht and free the hostages after a helicopter attack. They also had to prevent the terrorists from blowing up the tanker. They also had to prevent any oil from the tanker from spreading and causing an environmental disaster.
The Coast Guard mobilized a total of 995 staff, 37 ships and eight helicopters to participate in the event, reports said. Because its strength was still not enough to face future challenges, Taiwan would have to equip its coast guard with ships of more than 2,000 tons, Ma reportedly said.