Kaohsiung, Oct. 7 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration’s Hsun Hu No. 7 fisheries patrol vessel set sail from Kaohsiung on Saturday for the start of a 60-day patrol of the western and central Pacific, according to officials.
In a statement, the CGA said that the Hsun Hu No. 7 would make a port call in the Marshall Island, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, during its patrol to inspect fisheries resources and marine biodiversity.
Taiwan will also take its responsibility to strengthen maritime law enforcement and rescue operations in the area by conducting inspections on vessels in the area during the mission, the agency added.
The ship is scheduled to return to Taiwan on Dec. 4, the CGA said.
In the past few months, the agency’s Hsun Hu No. 8 and Hsun Hu No. 9 completed high seas patrols in the western and central Pacific, the agency said.
The agency added that conducting such patrols not only showed Taiwan’s resolve to participate in the international community but also gave the government a chance to show its care for Taiwanese distant-water fishing vessels.
Constructed in Taiwan and launched in 2010, Hsun Hu No. 7 has a roughly 1,900-ton displacement, which refers to the volume of water displaced by the vessel converted to weight, according to the CGA.
The ship is 84.5 meters in length and 12.5 meters in width, the CGA said.
