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Maritime and Port Bureau Achieves Marked Results in Strengthening Maritime Safety Management: Ship Groundings Reduced by Nearly 60% in 2025; Maritime Incidents Hit a Five-Year Low

  • Release date:2026/05/15
  • Number of views:137
  • Category:TIPC

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The Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) has actively promoted a range of measures in recent years to enhance navigational safety management, yielding tangible results. The total number of maritime incidents in Taiwan’s waters declined significantly from 144 cases in 2021 to 101 cases in 2025, representing a decrease of nearly 30%. Particularly, maritime incidents involving nonfishing vessels within Taiwan’s waters showed an even more notable downward trend, falling from 93 cases in 2022 to 57 cases in 2025, a reduction of nearly 40% (38.7%). Both figures represent the lowest numbers recorded in the past five years, confirming the effectiveness of the MPB’s efforts to strengthen maritime safety management and improve navigational safety within Taiwan’s waters.
  The MPB stated that, drawing lessons from Typhoon Gaemi, it achieved breakthrough progress in preventing ship groundings in 2025. Through implementation of the “12-nautical-mile nearshore clearance measure prior to issuance of sea warnings,” the MPB effectively prevented grounding accidents involving vessels operating near the coast. In 2025, only five ship grounding incidents were recorded, representing a sharp decrease of 58% compared with the 12 cases in 2024. During typhoon periods in 2025, the MPB carried out five clearance operations, successfully directing 266 vessels away from nearshore areas. In addition, during periods of severe weather, the MPB conducted 18 further operations and directed 354 vessels away from hazardous areas, successfully achieving the goal of “zero groundings during storm events.” Furthermore, the MPB activated emergency maritime towing service contracts on four occasions in 2025, achieving a 100% towing rescue success rate. In addition, the Executive Yuan’s recently approved large tugboat procurement project is expected to complete the tender award process soon, which will further strengthen Taiwan’s maritime towing and rescue capabilities.
  The MPB also noted that a new protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance review system for shipowners was implemented on Oct. 15, 2025. Under the new regulations, shipowners are required to obtain insurance coverage through the International Group of P&I Club (IG P&I Club), a Taiwanese insurance company, or an insurer with a credit rating of BBB or above from an internationally recognized rating agency. If shipowners fail to obtain coverage from a qualified insurer, they may apply for entry to and departure from Taiwan’s commercial ports by providing a financial guarantee together with a P&I insurance policy. To date, the compliance rate has reached 99.2%, ensuring that every vessel entering the port fulfills its corresponding safety responsibilities.
  Under directives from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Director General Hsieh-lung Yeh of the MPB has continued efforts to strengthen navigation safety. In addition to advancing smart maritime safety initiatives and leveraging technology to enhance vessel movement monitoring and navigational safety management, the MPB also regularly convenes pilotage safety enhancement meetings, maritime safety review meetings, and port safety meetings. Together with relevant agencies, institutions, and shipping operators, the MPB reviews maritime safety risk factors from four major dimensions—personnel, vessels, environment, and laws and regulations—and continues advancing maritime safety improvement measures to establish a safer and higher-quality navigational environment while promoting the sustainable development of Taiwan’s maritime sector. 

Contact person: Section Chief Yu-chieh Li of the Maritime Safety Division
Tel.: 02-89782563