Taiwan and Canada maritime experts are conducting personnel training in Taipei City as part of an accord signed by the two sides in 2005 to facilitate the nation’s efforts to comply with global maritime regulations, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Maritime and Port Bureau announced July 19.

Under the 2005 memorandum of understanding, the MOTC and Canadian Trade Office in Taipei agreed that both nations should conduct regular information exchanges on maritime systems and technologies.

According to the MPB, since the Republic of China (Taiwan) is not a member state of the International Maritime Organization, a U.N. specialized agency, the nation seeks international assistance to comply with global marine regulations. Since 2012, IMO member state Canada has provided experts to train Taiwan personnel in a range of areas, including harbor management, marine safety, nautical navigation and vessel traffic systems, the bureau said.

This year’s sessions, running from June 12 to Aug. 18, focus on three main areas—search, rescue and salvage, marine casualty investigation and port state control (inspection of foreign vessels). During the training, Taiwan personnel are being briefed on a range of topics including new resolutions adopted by the Tokyo MOU, a port state control organization consisting of 20 member authorities in the Asia-Pacific region.

To ensure compliance with global maritime standards, the MPB said local personnel are being instructed on three major international conventions, namely the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, International Convention on Salvage and International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.

The MPB said it has seen great results from collaboration under the Taiwan-Canada accord, adding that some 200 port state control personnel and almost 100 marine casualty investigators have received beneficial training. (KWS-E)