Taiwan Donates $2 Million Trust Fund to Pacific Islands for Sustainable Fisheries

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that Taiwan will continue to donate USD 2 million to the second phase of the Chinese Taipei Trust Fund of the Central and Western Pacific Fisheries Commission. This extension of a key diplomatic and international participation policy is intended to help developing island nations in the region strengthen fisheries management and sustainable development capabilities. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan has long deepened partnerships with Pacific allies and like‑minded countries through substantive international cooperation, playing an indispensable active role in regional fisheries resource conservation.

Looking back at the first phase of the trust fund’s implementation, Taiwan demonstrated strong execution capability and tangible results of international aid. The first phase successfully assisted Pacific allies such as Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and various regional intergovernmental organizations, driving a total of thirty fisheries capacity‑building projects. These projects covered fisheries data collection, scientific research, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and other key areas, significantly improving the recipient countries’ marine resource management skills and consolidating Taiwan’s tangible influence and solid diplomatic foundation in the South Pacific.

The Central and Western Pacific Fisheries Commission, as the international body managing the world’s largest tuna fisheries, governs resources vital to the economies of Pacific island nations. However, most island nations are constrained by fiscal and technical resources, often unable to independently meet extensive regulatory and scientific assessment demands. Taiwan, through establishing the Chinese Taipei Trust Fund, precisely targets these urgent needs, providing funding and technical support, demonstrating its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and concretely practicing the principle of “professional, pragmatic, and contributory” participation on the international fisheries governance stage.

The decision to donate an additional USD 2 million for the second phase carries far‑reaching significance for Taiwan’s diplomatic strategy in the Indo‑Pacific. Amid the current complex geopolitical situation and continued pressure on international organization participation, Taiwan demonstrates irreplaceable substantive contributions by cultivating regional fisheries cooperation. Such professional collaborations based on reciprocity and humanitarian concern often earn greater respect and support from the international community than mere political slogans, especially among Pacific island nations that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan and like‑minded countries with strategic interests in the region, who highly affirm Taiwan’s long‑term stable assistance.

Looking ahead, the USD 2 million fund will continue to support the deepening of various fisheries cooperation projects in the second stage. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Taiwan will keep working closely with the Central and Western Pacific Fisheries Commission and related island nations to ensure the sustainable use of regional fisheries resources and further enhance the autonomous governance capacity of developing island nations. In an era of global attention to climate change and marine ecosystem conservation, Taiwan’s concrete actions in international affairs not only consolidate its own international participation space but also contribute Taiwan’s expertise and strength to global marine governance.