The Ocean Conservation Agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) hosted the “2025 International Conference on Marine Environmental Management” on the 15th and 16th of September, aiming to consolidate global consensus on marine conservation and deepen international cooperation. The event brought together 47 top experts from 9 countries around the world, with key institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States also participating.
The opening ceremony witnessed over 300 attendees as the Ocean Conservation Agency signed a memorandum of understanding with the Habbey Center in Indonesia. Chairperson of the agency, Peggy Chen, emphasized the importance of international professional dialogues in initiating new governance opportunities and symbolizing Taiwan’s active involvement in international marine conservation efforts. She also announced that Vice President Xiao Meiqin would soon unveil the latest version of the National Marine Policy White Paper.
The Marine Conservation Bureau stated that the “2025 International Conference on Marine Environmental Management” commenced at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation International Conference Center on the 15th, featuring 27 experts from 8 countries such as the United States, France, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, alongside 20 top scholars from Taiwan. With over 300 participants present, the conference focused on core issues including marine environmental protection, pollution prevention, waste management, water quality maintenance, sediment maintenance, and international cooperation.
The bureau highlighted the presence of representatives from various leading international institutions at the conference, including the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Coast Guard’s National Strike Force Pacific Strike Team, the University of Hawaii Marine Debris Research Center, the French Waterway Accidental Pollution Investigation Center, the Japan Coast Guard Disaster Prevention Center, the Japan Global Environmental Strategy Institute, and the Korea Fisheries Resources Corporation. Several top Taiwanese experts also attended the event, sharing their latest research and governance achievements to promote multilateral cooperation and knowledge sharing, injecting new energy into global marine governance.
Peggy Chen stressed that with global economic development and climate change, marine environmental management has become an unavoidable issue. Challenges such as plastic waste, climate change, overfishing, and emerging sources of pollution are transnational, requiring international cooperation, institutional development, and technological applications to effectively address them. She reiterated the importance of conservation and sustainability in safeguarding the oceans that sustain humanity and the planet.
Regarding incursions into Taiwan’s jurisdictional waters by the Chinese authorities, Peggy Chen stated that such actions are more of a nuisance than law enforcement. She emphasized the efforts put forth in maritime law enforcement and combatting crimes to protect Taiwan’s waters.
She further pointed out instances where Chinese fishing vessels trespassed into Taiwan’s maritime territory and damaged the country’s marine national park, using harmful methods like cyanide fishing. The Coast Guard continues to enforce the law at sea, seize and detain vessels engaged in such activities.
Peggy Chen criticized the frivolous nature of China’s actions as mere propaganda tactics without substantive purpose. She called for adherence to international maritime law and the condemnation of any actions by China that violate these laws, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding marine territories.
In a significant development, Taiwan and Indonesia took a critical step in cooperation during the conference. A memorandum of understanding signed between the Ocean Conservation Agency and the Habbey Center of Indonesia marked the first international cooperation document under the “Indo-Pacific Marine Waste Governance Cooperation Platform.” This move not only translates ideas into actions but also deepens the partnership between Taiwan and Indonesia in marine waste management, laying a solid foundation for sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific region.
Through the “2025 International Conference on Marine Environmental Management,” Taiwan continues to showcase its professional expertise in the field of marine conservation and its sense of international responsibility. The country intends to use multilateral cooperation as a platform to work alongside global partners in safeguarding the azure oceans and creating a sustainable blueprint for the planet’s future.