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Fisheries Agency questions Taiwan's illegal fishing listing
The Fisheries Agency (under the Council of Agriculture) is questioning why Taiwan has been listed as one of the countries engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in a new report by the US government.
The agency says it felt "blindsided by the report" because it was not asked by the US about its findings.
Agency officials say they now plan to contact US authorities to learn more about why Taiwan was included.
The statement follows the release of the "2021 Biennial Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management."
The report identified 31 countries and entities for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing fishing activities.
Taiwan was included in the report for the first time, having been found to have vessels engaged in illegal fishing practices and bycatch or unwanted catch and discards activities from 2018 to 2020.
The report said Taiwan vessels violated "conservation measures" in various regional fisheries management organizations in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans during the time frame and accused their government of failing to take corrective action.
