A forum on marine plastic debris governance in the Indo-Pacific was held by the Ocean Affairs Council Nov. 13 in the eastern county of Hualien as part of government efforts to promote cross-border cooperation in the region.
According to the OAC, the event involved around 80 public- and private-sector representatives from Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Palau, Thailand, Vietnam, the Maldives and the Philippines. OAC Deputy Minister Huang Hsiang-wen opened the event by welcoming participants to Hualien to witness its natural wonder and resilience.
Steven Victor, Palau’s minister of agriculture, fisheries and the environment, said in his keynote speech that given the immense volume of marine debris they face, Pacific island states are invested in implementing the Blue Pacific initiative. He thanked Taiwan for offering technical assistance and training in reducing marine plastic waste, adding that the positive development demonstrates the power of regional cooperation.
In the Policy and Legal Framework discussion, panelists outlined progress on measures such as restricting single-use plastics in hotels, enhancing awareness of marine waste among fishers and imposing a plastic tariff. Participants also shared experiences of implementing environmental, social and governance initiatives in the Public-Private Partnership in ESG Governance session.
In the Innovative Technologies session, a Taipei-headquartered enterprise presented how they helped small island states recycle marine debris and produced tens of millions of items of apparel and pairs of sneakers, while firms from Indonesia and Vietnam demonstrated how they turned recycled plastics into asphalt and fuels.
The OAC said the event represents a significant step toward fulfilling Taiwan’s policy goal of establishing an Indo-Pacific marine waste management platform. The council will continue monitoring global developments to identify future cross-border cooperation opportunities and contribute to the reduction of marine waste, it added. (SFC-E)
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