The Ocean Affairs Council is finally up and running, making the "maritime nation" slogan of 20 years finally come true

Since 1996, when presidential candidate Peng Ming-min raised the slogan of a maritime nation, marking the start of political parties treating ocean policy as a campaign issue, 19 years have passed to date. Today (the 16th), the Legislative Yuan finally passed the draft organic act for the "Ocean Affairs Council" on third reading, confirming that the Executive Yuan will establish the Ocean Affairs Council, with 3 subordinate units: the Coast Guard Administration, the Ocean Conservation Administration, and the Ocean Research Institute.

However, when the draft was first reviewed, it drew considerable outside criticism as "duplicative bureaucracy," but most scholars believe the government should have a dedicated agency responsible for ocean affairs, which would be conducive to long-term policy planning and development of ocean resources. In the future, what is most needed is stronger communication and coordination among the organizations.

From "Ministry of Oceans" to "Ocean Affairs Council," confirmed to oversee the Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Development Research Institute, and Coast Guard Administration

Our country's earliest administrative regulation related to ocean conservation affairs was the 1998 "Republic of China Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf Act." After the first party rotation in power, there was once a call to establish a "Ministry of Ocean Affairs," and in 2004 the Executive Yuan established the Executive Yuan Ocean Affairs Promotion Committee (abbreviated as the Ocean Promotion Committee) as a cross-ministerial platform, while also formulating development visions such as the "National Ocean Policy Guidelines" and the "Ocean Policy White Paper."

However, during legislation, the DPP government was always in a situation of "a minority in the legislature and a majority in the executive," so even after changing from a Ministry of Ocean Affairs to an Ocean Affairs Council, the bill never won majority support; after the second party rotation in power, the incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou proposed the policy blueprint of "Blue Revolution, Maritime Prosperity for the Nation," and in 2011 the Executive Yuan submitted the draft "Ocean Affairs Council" Act, which passed the Legislative Yuan on third reading today (the 16th).

The Ocean Affairs Council is confirmed to incorporate the existing "Executive Yuan Coast Guard Administration" and to newly establish 2 new units: the "Ocean Conservation Administration" (abbreviated as the Ocean Conservation Administration) and the "Ocean Development Research Institute." In terms of division of labor, the Ocean Conservation Administration is "equivalent to the brain," and will formulate policies for the conservation of ocean resources and pollution prevention, while incorporating some personnel from the Environmental Protection Administration's marine pollution section; the Coast Guard Administration is the "body," and in addition to being responsible for its existing duties such as maritime security, maritime territorial defense, and human trafficking, it must also implement the policies formulated by the Ocean Conservation Administration. The Ocean Development Research Institute, meanwhile, focuses mainly on ocean research and personnel training.