Taipei: Taiwan and the United States have agreed to continue their collaborative efforts to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This decision was reached during an annual consultation held in Taipei earlier this week, as announced by the Fisheries Agency in a statement released on Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the discussions took place at the Ministry of Agriculture on Monday and Tuesday, with Fisheries Agency Director-General Wang Mao-chen leading the Taiwanese delegation. The annual exchange focused on policies and topics like IUU fishing. Both nations agreed to establish communication channels under the U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing to share intelligence on fishing activities that contravene national laws or international conservation and management measures.

The agreement also includes discussions on measures within the U.S. working group, such as high seas boarding and inspection of fishing vessels, and verifying that foreign ships comply with international standards and regulations. The working group was established following the U.S. Congress’ passage of the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act in 2019, which aims to support a coordinated government-wide effort to tackle IUU fishing on a global scale.

Taiwanese and U.S. officials further discussed extending the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Cooperation in Fisheries and Aquaculture. This MOU was signed between the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. Additionally, both nations agreed to maintain ongoing cooperation on shared interests during meetings of regional fisheries management organizations.

The bilateral consultation is deemed crucial for enhancing cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. and promoting sustainable fishing practices. This is particularly significant as the U.S. is a leading seafood market globally, and Taiwan is a prominent player in high seas fishing.