Taipei [Taiwan], March 23 : Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications is considering amendments which will require vessels of all sizes to install automatic identification systems (AIS) in a bid to track ships near Taiwan's shores as well as prevent Chinese incursions, the Taipei Times reported.
According to the report, under the Regulations for Small Ships Inspection and Measuring and the Regulations Governing the Management of Yachts, small ships that are not used to ferry passengers are not required to install an AIS.
However, it was observed that under the proposed amendment, all ships, except those on lakes, rivers and other inland waterways, would be required to install an AIS, ministry sources said this week, as reported by Taipei Times.
Notably, these amendments are primarily a response to an incident in June last year when a Chinese man was arrested after navigating a boat into a harbour near the mouth of the Tamsui River.
The Taiwan Ministry said the changes would also help the government combat smuggling and improve operational safety for port and harbour staff and Coast Guard Administration personnel.
Under the regulations, small ships are defined as those with motor-powered vessels under 20 tonnes or non-motor-powered ships under 50 tonnes and are further separated into passenger-carrying ships and non-passenger-carrying ships. Yachts relying primarily on wind for propulsion with auxiliary engines are not required to install an AIS under current regulations but can instead put in radar deflectors. However, once the amendments are passed, the vessels must install an AIS, the ministry said, Taipei Times reported.
It was observed that installing AIS systems on small boats and yachts would help the Maritime and Port Bureau track all ships in coastal areas near Taiwan.
According to the ministry, Taiwan has 1,543 yachts and 13,146 small ships, and about 13,690 ships are expected to install AIS if the amendments pass.
Ships that fail to comply with the new regulations could face fines ranging between NT Dollar 3,000 to NT Dollar 30,000 under the Shipping Act. A Class B AIS costs about NT Dollar 20,000, Maritime and Port Bureau Deputy Director-General Liu Chih-hung said.
The bureau is working with the Fisheries Agency to draft subsidies that would alleviate the financial burden for ship owners to install the systems.
Under proposed plans, the bureau would subsidize the refitting of 4,609 ships that are not used in the fishing industry, while the Ministry of Agriculture would subsidize 9,081 ships, Liu Chih-hung added.
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