Penghu Islands

Cargo ship aground and leaking oil in Penghu Islands

oil spill in foreground, stranded ship in background
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Coast guard and environmental protection agency personnel are cleaning up and attempting to prevent spreading of an oil spill after a 499-ton cargo ship ran aground on Jibei Island in the Penghu archipelago. According to Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration, the Cameroonian-flagged general cargo ship, Hai Shou, en route from the Port of Kaohsiung to Busan, Korea, lost power and began drifting on Saturday, December 16. Attempts were made to anchor the ship, but strong winds caused the ship to continue

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Body found in harbor suspected to be crew of Korean tug missing in Taiwan Strait

police and coast guard personnel with body retrieved from Magong Harbor
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , ,

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

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Belize-registered ship aground in Penghu Islands after drifting crewless for four days

composite image showing ship aground and map of location
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

A general cargo ship has run aground on a reef in the Penghu Islands, after the crew abandoned ship off the coast of northern Taiwan on December 24. The Belize-flagged, 499-gross tonnage general cargo ship HOMAO lost power due to flooding in its cabin and issued a distress signal at approximately 8 o’clock in the morning of the 24th, 52 nautical miles from Keelung. The crew of nine abandoned ship a short time later. On the evening of the 24th,

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Crew abandons ship after Panamanian freighter runs aground in Penghu Islands

Fortune ship aground at Jibei Island, Penghu County, Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The 14-man crew of a Panamanian-registered cargo ship was airlifted to safety after the vessel ran aground in Penghu County following a mechanical failure, Sunday, October 17. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration Magong Signal Station received a distress call from the crew of the Xinyan Fortune at 9:25 am, reporting that the ship had lost power and was adrift around 7 nautical miles northeast of Jibei Island. The coast guard dispatched three patrol boats and a fixed winged aircraft to the

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Derelict freighter aground in Penghu Islands identified, leaking oil

derelict freighter aground on rocks in South Penghu Marine National Park
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

An unmanned ship that ran aground in the Penghu Islands yesterday, was identified as the Philippine-registered HM FOUNDATION, but the last-registered owner has claimed that the ship has been sold, and did not disclose who currently owns it. Coast Guard officers boarded the vessel today and confirmed that there was no crew onboard. A large amount of water was present in the cargo hold, and some oil was leaking from the ship. The Coast Guard Administration dispatched three boats to

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Ghost freighter runs aground in the Penghu Islands

unnamed, unmanned freighter aground on rocks on Xiji Island, Penghu Islands
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An unnamed, unmanned freighter ran aground on Xiji Island in Penghu County, Taiwan in the early hours of this morning, January 18, and authorities are concerned of a possible pollution incident. The Coast Guard Administration Penghu branch received a report of a freighter seen aground on the rocky northern coastline of Xiji Island at around 10:20 am. The coast guard sent two patrol boats and a helicopter on an emergency rescue mission, only to find there was apparently nobody aboard

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Object found on island believed to be WWII era naval mine

suspected WWII naval mine
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Military bomb disposal personnel say that an object discovered on an uninhabited island in Penghu County is probably a naval mine from World War Two. A team of civilians contracted by national park authorities to do a coastal cleanup discovered the mystery object on Chutou Islet Friday, September 18. Poor sea and weather conditions prevented military unexploded ordnance disposal personnel from reaching the site until today, Monday, September 21. Media reports over the weekend noted that the mine was not

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15 Rehabilitated Turtles Returned to the Sea

turtles released into the ocean after rehabilitation
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Penghu County Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau released 15 rehabilitated turtles back into the wild after inviting students from local elementary schools, National Penghu University of Science and Technology, and members of the general public to participate in the event this morning, May 15. Six of the turtles had hatched during the 2015 and 2016 breeding seasons, but had been too weak to climb out of the nest on their own. The juvenile turtles were now around 30 centimeters long, and

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500kg Amphetamine Haul Intercepted in the Taiwan Strait

coast guard intercepts drug boat
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Penghu County police and Coast Guard officers intercepted a Chinese fishing vessel near the middle of the Taiwan Strait carrying 502kg of amphetamine precursors, yesterday, December 15. Police investigators focusing on criminal organizations using Penghu as a drug shipment point came across intelligence about the shipment, and intercepted the vessel after locating it on radar travelling at a speed of 8 knots towards Penghu. After boarding the vessel officers found 20 feed bags filled with amphetamine precursors. The crew of

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Owner of Submerged Car Asleep, but not at the Wheel

car lifted out of water at makung harbor
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

[Cover Picture: Penghu Times] A fisherman at Makung Harbor, Penghu County yesterday reported that a car had gone over the wharf and was upside down under the water. Police, Firefighters, and Coast Guard rushed to the scene for search and rescue operations. Six rescue vehicles, a boat, five scuba divers and a total of 16 personnel were dispatched to the harbor. However, no occupants were found in the vehicle. The divers, working in poor visibility, reported that the vehicle was

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Penghu Residents Vote Against Casinos

Penghu Islands Taiwan
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Residents of the Penghu Islands voted overwhelmingly against the legalization of gambling, and the development of casinos on the archipelago, in a referendum held today, Saturday, October 15, 2016. At the close of counting votes against stood at 26,598, with votes for at 6,210. There were a total of 32,808 valid votes, with 216 invalid, from a voter turnout of 39.56 percent. Votes against at today’s referendum exceeded those of a 2009 referendum when 17,359 residents voted against the development

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