Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)


The Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council, also known as the Taiwan Coast Guard or R.O.C. Coast Guard, is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting the resources of the territorial waters of the Republic of China, which surrounds Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu Islands, Green Island, Orchid Island, Dongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands as well as providing a first line of defense along coastal areas against smugglers and illegal immigrants. The CGA is considered a civilian law enforcement agency under the administration of the Ocean Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan, though during emergencies it may be incorporated as part of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

Organization

The Coast Guard Administration is headed by one minister and three deputy ministers. The CGA includes eight departments, one office and five task forces, as well as a Maritime Patrol Directorate General and a Coastal Patrol Directorate General. Its jurisdiction covers the waters surrounding Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, and the main island of Taiwan to ensure proper protection of the 1,819.8 kilometers coastline and 540,000 square kilometers of "Blue Territory," which is 15 times larger than the island of Taiwan.
Article two of the Coast Guard Law splits the responsibilities of the CGA into three zones, their core area, Waters temporarily or tentatively within the area of law enforcement, and International waters fisheries patrol.

Core area

This includes all land within 500 meters of the high tide line, Territorial waters, the Contiguous zone, and the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Waters temporarily or tentatively within the area of law enforcement

These are waters within the Exclusive Economic Zone were Taiwanese EEZs overlap with those of neighboring nations "where negotiations for delimitation have not yet reached a consensus."

International waters

The CGA conducts fisheries patrols in international waters, particularly the north and midwest Pacific Ocean.

History

The CGA was established on 1 February 2000, combining the Coast Guard Command, the Marine Police Bureau, and several cutters from the Taiwan Directorate General of Customs, Ministry of Finance. The CGA formally unifies coastal and maritime law enforcement agencies.
It has seen a great deal of action for a young agency, participating in numerous search and rescue and anti-smuggling operations. The Coast Guard Administration was also recently involved in escorting Taiwanese fishing boats into waters disputed with Japan claimed by both sides as part of their exclusive economic zones.
In May 2019 the CGA detained two Chinese fishing vessels for illegally fishing inside Taiwan's territorial waters. One vessel was.4 nautical miles off Taiwanese shores while the other was 2.1 nautical miles offshore.
In May 2019 the CGA rescued six fishermen aboard a burning boat nineteen miles offshore. Five fisherman were picked up by cutter while the most seriously injured was airlifted to hospital by helicopter. All fishermen survived the ordeal although three required hospitalization.
On March 1 2020 three coast guard cutters clearing illegal fishing nets off Little Kinmen island were attacked by Chinese fishing boats which had to be repelled with warning shots from a shotgun.
On March 16 2020 the patrol boats CP-1022 and CP-2006 of the 9th Offshore Flotilla based on Kinmen were attacked by ten Chinese speedboats. They had been assisting a Kinmen County Government Fisheries Research Institute patrol boat in clearing fishing nets illegally left in Taiwanese waters by Chinese fishermen when they came under attack from the men in speedboats throwing rocks and bottles. During the incident CP-1022 was rammed at speed and lost the function of two of their three engines and its hull was damaged. The CGA responded to the attack using less lethal means including stun grenades and bean bag rounds which caused the attacking boats to retreat.
In July 2020 the CGA arrested all 18 crew members of a Chinese fishing vessel caught fishing illegally in Taiwanese waters. The interdiction followed an increase in illegal fishing in Taiwanese waters by Chinese fishing vessels.
Between January and July of 2020 the CGA chased 2,988 Chinese sand dredging vessels out of Taiwanese waters. In July 2020 the CGA seized a dredging vessel and arrested its eight crew as a waring to the rest.

Intelligence Function

Some people in Taiwan still regard the Coast Guard Administration as an intelligence agency due to its root. Indeed, the land branch of the Coast Guard Administration is inherited from the former Taiwan Garrison Command. As a result, a lot of intelligence personnel from the Military Police Command or the late Taiwan Garrison Command are still in the ROCCGA.
There are several mobile investigative groups subordinated to four corresponding areas of responsibility of the Coastal Patrol Directorate General. All mobile investigative groups of the Coast Guard Administration are tasked to perform intelligence-gathering mission of State Security. While executing such intelligence-gathering function, The Coast Guard Administration is subjected to the supervisory and coordination from the National Security Bureau.

Future of the CGA

As of 2019 the CGA planned to construct a total of 141 ships, including four 4000-tonne, six 1000-tonne, 12 600-tonne, 17 100-tonne, 52 35-tonne patrol ships and 50 coastal multi-purposed ships, by 2027.

Fleet

Cutters and Patrol Boats

Helicopters and drones

Ministers (CGA under Executive Yuan)

Chairpersons (CGA under Ocean Affairs Council)