CGA vessels reach new southernmost point for service

PATROL PARTNERS: The ‘Chiayi’ and the ‘Penghu’ departed for a two-day joint patrol of Palau’s exclusive economic zone, the CGA’s second diplomatic visit to the country

• By Hung Chen-hung, Wu Jen-chieh and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer

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The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) set a record for its southernmost deployment of a coast guard vessel as the vessels Chiayi and the Penghu reached Palau’s Pulo Anna Island on Saturday in a cooperative exercise between the two countries.

The island, about 217 nautical miles (401km) southwest of Koror in the Palauan state of Sonsorol and 1,220 nautical miles from Taiwan’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), is the furthest south a CGA vessel has sailed.

The two vessels are in Palau for the coast guard’s second diplomatic visit to the country.

The Coast Guard Administration’s Chiayi, front, and Penghu patrol vessels sail into Palau’s Pulo Anna Island on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration

They docked at Malakal Harbor on Tuesday last week.

The coast guard ships Hualien and the Taipei visited last year, but did not sail that far south.

Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr and his wife boarded the Chiayi on Thursday for a reception ahead of Double Ten National Day on Saturday.

The Chiayi and the Penghu departed on Friday for a two-day joint patrol of Palau’s exclusive economic zone about 200 nautical miles southwest of Koror, accompanied by Palauan officials.

Personnel from the Palauan Division of Maritime Security and Fish and Wildlife Protection, Lieutenant Jim Kloulechad and Sergeant Gerald Ringang were on the Penghu as part of the patrol, the CGA said.

Kloulechad thanked the CGA for helping Palau patrol its waters, saying the relationship was important to the two sides.

Only five people live on Pulo Anna Island, Kloulechad said, adding that the visit was a valuable opportunity to ensure their safety and well-being.

Taiwan and Palau have continued to deepen cooperation through joint patrols, maritime search-and-rescue exercises and personnel exchanges since signing a coast guard cooperation agreement in 2019, the CGA said.

The joint patrol helped safeguard Palau’s maritime security, and further bolster bilateral maritime law enforcement and emergency response capabilities, it added.

Palau does not have an independent national coast guard, instead relying on its marine law enforcement division and international partners to patrol its exclusive economic zone, combat illegal fishing and conduct search-and-rescue operations. Its maritime fleet includes long-range patrol vessels such as the PSS Remeliik II and PSS Kedam, as well as smaller patrol boats and surveillance equipment.

It works closely with the US Coast Guard, which can enforce maritime laws in Palau’s exclusive economic zone under a bilateral agreement, and receives training and other assistance from Japan.

Taiwan contributes through diplomatic visits and joint patrols, which helped broaden bilateral maritime law enforcement and emergency response cooperation.