To assess the systematic integration of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) into Taiwan’s coastal and marine governance frameworks to balance marine conservation and coastal development. The study adopts a comparative mixed-methods design that combines quantitative statistical analysis of spatial and ecological-economic data with qualitative policy analysis of the two selected governance frameworks. The comparative aspect of the research design explores the performance of multiple hub cases across temporal, spatial and multimodal aspects, across 13 years (2010-2023) between Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The dependent variable is the Biodiversity Index (BI), while the independent variables are Policy Effectiveness Index (PEI) and Shipping Traffic Density (STD) and the conservation variable (Marine Protected Areas/ Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures coverage) is included as a control. A one-way ANOVA test was performed to compare mean BI values across countries and between periods of high against low PEI. A total of 42 observations were analyzed. PEI ranged from −1.09 to 3.08 (M = 0.08, SD = 1.10). STD (standardized proxy) ranged from −1.94 to 1.52 (M = −0.17, SD = 1.11). The BI (scaled 0–100) ranged from 9.40 to 100.00 (M = 47.33, SD = 38.90). Taiwan (n = 14) exhibited the highest PEI (M = 1.16, SD = 1.13), the lowest STD (M = −1.49, SD = 0.31), and the maximum BI score (M = 100.00, SD = 0.00). Taiwan (n = 14) exhibited the highest PEI (M = 1.16, SD = 1.13), the lowest STD (M = −1.49, SD = 0.31), and the maximum BI score (M = 100.00, SD = 0.00). In Hong Kong (n = 14), PEI was relatively low (M = −0.73, SD = 0.41), Shipping Traffic Density was slightly below the mean (M = −0.15, SD = 0.12), and the BI was minimal (M = 9.40, SD = 0.00). Singapore (n = 14) showed moderate PEI (M = −0.20, SD = 0.54), substantially higher shipping density (M = 1.12, SD = 0.27), and an intermediate BI score (M = 32.58, SD = 0.00). STD had a significant negative effect on BI (β = −0.22, p = .015), indicating that increased shipping intensity reduced biodiversity. MSP and OECMs can transform conservation into a competitive operational tool that enables shipping hubs to protect marine ecosystems, comply with global sustainability standards, and reduce ecological conflicts in global supply chains.

Taiwan establishes Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) in 2018. Ocean governance has reached a new milestone. In 2019, the Ocean Basic Act was enacted. In 2020, the National Ocean Policy White Paper was published, meaning that Taiwan has specialized ocean authorities, regulations, enforcement units, and relevant mechanisms and policies. The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) is also responsible for marine environmental protection and conservation. To ensure good ocean governance, maintain marine resources, and protect the environment, the OCA has recently drafted the Marine Conservation Act for sustainable development. This article mainly reviews, analyzes, and compares Taiwan’s current marine-related laws and regulations and refers to the laws, policies, and mechanisms of other countries to provide suggestions on marine governance and the ongoing draft of the Marine Conservation Act.

This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of existing global policies and data for offshore wind (OW) farms (OWFs) by exploring the performance of the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, China, Taiwan and the rest of the world based on chosen quantitative metrics (total installations, energy capacity, bathymetry, wind resources) and qualitative policy drivers (costs, installation regulations, taxation). This research adopts an explorative multi-case study design that involves analyzing quantitative and qualitative metrics of OW energy parameters for the UK, Germany, China, Taiwan and the rest of the world. The quantitative metrics include the total OW energy installations, bathymetric data, wind speed and direction data and OW energy capacity while the qualitative metrics include the policy changes on costs of installations, installation policies and taxation policies. As compared to the United Kingdom and Germany, China reported the highest number of installed OW energy farms between 2019 and 2023. The UK reported a gradual increase in the number of OWFs installed between 2019 and 2023. Taiwan has the lowest number of OWFs and wind energy capacity but ranks almost the same as China and the UK in terms of the bathymetric data and wind speed. Statistically significant correlation, (p ≤ 0.05), between the wind speed and the number of OWFs for all the countries. No statistically significant relationship between the bathymetric characteristics and the number of OW installations and wind energy capacity. Geographical factors, weather patterns and government policies play crucial roles in the successful installation and maintenance of OWFs.

This study applies the DPSIR (Driving Forces-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework to evaluate the ecological safety of Anping Port, Taiwan, from 2015 to 2021. Using time series data, the study identifies key indicators, including water transparency, nitrogen oxides, and fuel oil consumption, that significantly affect the port's ecological health. The DPSIR model highlights the dominance of ‘Environmental policy,' ‘Environmental quality,' and ‘Emergency improvement' as critical factors, with pollution control policies contributing 19.79% to the overall weight of the evaluation. Of the total weight, ‘Environmental quality' accounts for 14.9%, ‘Emergency improvement' accounts for 14.58%. The research findings reveal that Anping Port's ecological safety exhibited a ‘U'-shaped trend, declining from 2015 to 2017, but gradually improving through 2021, largely due to emergency governmental interventions. The entropy method further ranks ‘Advice for Improvement' and ‘Number of notifications' as the most influential indicators, underscoring the importance of timely management actions. The weight of ‘Advice for Improvement' was 7.36%, and the weight for ‘Number of notifications’ was 7.22%. This model provides a comprehensive foundation for future marine protection policies, particularly in designing conservation areas and strengthening ecological safety protocols.

This study examines Taiwan’s multifaceted efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a challenge that gained urgency following the European Union’s yellow card warning. Central reforms—including gear tagging initiatives, buy-back programs, and strengthened enforcement mechanisms—aim to address illegal catches, gear laundering, and fleet overcapacity while simultaneously promoting circular economy principles in fisheries governance. The research employs Fisheries Agency data (2022–2024) on gear tagging, returns, recovered volumes, and recycling rates, combined with stakeholder interviews and market analysis of recycled fishing gear materials, to highlight the complex relationship between IUU practices and abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). A “follow-the-plastic” methodology, adapted from waste-tracing studies, is introduced to trace gear throughout its lifecycle from production to disposal, identifying leakage points linked to IUU activities. Policy effectiveness is critically evaluated, revealing persistent regulatory gaps, weak market incentives for recycling, and barriers to private-sector participation. The study proposes a conceptual framework that demonstrates how circular economy strategies can complement traditional enforcement by reducing gear loss, enhancing traceability, and improving compliance. Findings emphasize that international cooperation, adaptive governance, and local community engagement are essential to achieving sustainable fisheries. Taiwan’s experience suggests that coupling IUU enforcement with circular economy innovations provides a practical pathway to reduce ALDFG, strengthen marine biodiversity conservation, and foster environmentally sustainable resource use. The study concludes that integrated governance, combining legal enforcement with economic and social instruments, is vital for long-term marine ecosystem protection and resilience.

Redox potential is a frequently used measurement in studies under and around marine cage farms to assess the environmental status of marine aquaculture. This study presents an application of a geographic information system (GIS) to document sediment geochemical measures in cobia aquaculture in order to assess the condition of the benthic environment using the Chu-Wan marine fish farm as a case study. The objectives of the study was to combine GIS presentation with chemical measures as an important and innovative methodology in marine aquaculture environmental management. The results show a real distribution patterns for both redox potential and sulfide content in relation to position of the farm and the current pattern.