Distant water fishing vessels which operate in areas where there are high risks of piracy or illegal armed forces, may apply for employment of private armed security personnel upon due notification t
Provisions of the
Fisheries Act have been amended, permitting distant water fishing vessels
operating in fishing areas subject to high risks of piracy or illegal armed
forces, to employ private armed security personnel.
1. Objective: The permit
of employing private armed security personnel on board distant water fishing
vessels operating in fishing areas where there are high risks of piracy or
illegal armed forces has been granted to protect the life of personnel and
their property on board distant water fishing vessels.
2. Policy:
1) A fishery
operator whose fishing vessel has been authorized to fish in those areas with
high risks of piracy or illegal armed forces (currently announced areas are
north of 10 degrees S. and west of 78 degrees E. in the Indian Ocean), may
employ private armed security personnel provided by private maritime security
companies.
2) Any fishery
operator who intends to employ private armed security personnel should fill in
letter of notification for each of his vessels, accompanying such documents as
copy of fishing license, plan of employment, insurance plan, and submit to the
central competent authority for perusal 7 days prior to the employment.
3) To avoid
private armed security personnel and the firearms, ammunition and knives they
carry, entering into the territory of Taiwan, whereby jeopardizing the law and
order of the country, the fishery operator should instruct the private armed
security personnel he employs to embark and disembark the vessel at foreign
ports, along with the firearms, ammunition and knives they carry, and they are
not permitted to enter into the terriotry of Taiwan other than the areas the
fishing vessel under protection has been previously notified.
4) Any
fishery operator who has employed private armed security personnel without
prior notification to the central competent authority, or has failed to embark
and disembark at foreign ports private armed security personnel under
employment, along with the firearms, ammunition and knives they carry, or whose
vessel has entered into the territory of Taiwan other than the areas the
fishing vessel under protection previously notified, is liable to a fine of not
more than NT$60,000 but not less than NT$300,000.