Taiwan’s coast guard rescued 9 people who were aboard a freighter that sank off Taiwan’s east coast after being hit by a oil tanker shortly after midnight this morning, April 26. The Taiwanese cargo ship Dafa No.1 was carrying supplies from Fugang Harbor, Taitung to Orchid Island when it was hit by the 42,010 gross-ton Liberian-registered oil tanker Lia (IMO: 9417751) traveling between Kuwait and South Korea. Keelung Coastal Radio picked up a distress call from the Dafa No.1 saying that
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Northeast tuna season opens with first bluefin sold for more than NT$1.8 million
The first Pacific bluefin tuna caught off Taiwan’s northeast coast this year sold at auction for a total price of NT$1,897,000 million at Nanfang Harbor, Port of Su’ao, in Yilan County this morning, April 21. The 271 kilogram fish opened with starting bid of NT$5,600 per kilogram, and was finally sold at NT$7,000 per kilogram to Taipei restaurant Sando House. The price was considerably lower than the NT$8,600 per kilo paid for the first catch last year, also purchased by
Read moreBody found in harbor suspected to be crew of Korean tug missing in Taiwan Strait
A body found floating in Magong Harbor on Penghu Island is believed to be one of four Korean crew members who remain missing after a Korean-owned Sierra Leone-flagged vessel went missing, presumed to have sunk in the Taiwan Strait two days ago. Penghu County Fire Bureau received a report of a floating body at the south embankment of the Suogang Wharf in Magong Harbor at 11:50 am this morning, April 9. Police and coast guard personnel retrieved the body shortly
Read moreMud volcano erupts beside temple in southern Taiwan
during and after eruption showing broken window
Read more2 bodies found after Korean tug goes missing in the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan’s National Coast Guard Administration personnel recovered two bodies this morning during a search for a Korean-owned pusher tug with six crew aboard that went missing after sending a distress call yesterday, April 8. The Sierra Leone-flagged tug Kyoto No. 1 was en route from the Port of Busan, Korea to Batam, Indonesia via the Taiwan Strait when the crew sent a distress signal from a position close to the Penghu Islands at 9:50 am, Thursday. Taiwan’s National Rescue Command
Read moreEvergreen container ship “Ever Forward” hasn’t budged for 17 days since grounding on US east coast
An Evergreen container ship is still stuck after several attempts to move it, including dredging the muddy bottom, since it ran aground more than two weeks ago. The 334-meter-long 12,000 TEU Ever Forward, owned by Evergreen Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Taiwanese shipping and transportation giant Evergreen Marine Corporation, became stranded after grounding in shallow water north of Chesapeake Bay, shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore on March 13 bound for Norfolk, Virginia. The vessel and cargo did not
Read moreCargo ship aground on Taiwan’s east coast
A Belize-flagged freighter has run aground on the coast of Taitung County, and authorities are preparing equipment and personnel in case of an oil spill today, Tuesday, March 8. The 6,653 gross ton Uniprofit was en route from Yantai, China to Bahudopi, Indonesia carrying general cargo in 149 20-foot containers when it lost power off the east coast of Taiwan. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration received a report that the vessel was around one nautical mile off the coast without power
Read moreBulk carrier breaks moorings, collides with container ship, runs aground at Port of Taichung
A Panamanian-registered bulk carrier was successfully refloated after mooring lines broke, causing it to drift and collide with another vessel, before running aground in shallow water yesterday, February 20. The 27,792-gross-ton Xiang Fu was docked and unloading cement clinker at Pier 44 at the Port of Taichung when 50 knot (Beaufort Scale 8) winds, described as the level of a moderate typhoon, caused the cable lines to break, and the ship to lose its moorings. The Xiang Fu collided with
Read moreRare pygmy sperm whale dies after stranding on Taiwan’s west coast
A rarely seen in Taiwan pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) died despite rescue efforts after stranding on a beach in Chiayi County this morning, Sunday, February 13. A fisherman found the pygmy sperm whale stranded on a beach in Budai Township at around 8:00 am. The fisherman reported the stranding to the local branch of the National Coast Guard Administration. Coast guard officers contacted the National Cheng Kung University Marine Biology and Cetacean Research Center, and attempted to keep the
Read more3 rough-toothed dolphins stranded on New Taipei City beach released after 3 days rehabilitation
Three dolphins found stranded on a beach in New Taipei City’s Bali District, Wednesday, were released in waters off the coast of Keelung City, after spending two days in a cetacean rehabilitation center. The one male and two female rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) were reported stranded on Waizaiwei Beach on the morning of February 9. Personnel from the New Taipei City Government Animal Protection Department, Coast Guard, and Taiwan Cetacean Society responded to the report. Due to bad weather and
Read moreOil tanker listing in Port of Kaohsiung after collision with breakwater
A 42,000 ton oil tanker began to take on water after colliding with a breakwater at the Port of Kaohsiung and damaging its hull, but there is little chance of oil pollution port authorities say. According to reports today, February 4, the Danish-flagged oil products tanker TORM EMILIE (IMO: 9277785) was entering the port on Tuesday, February 1, when it collided with the south dike breakwater, causing a hull breach, the harbor bureau said. The outer shell of the hull
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