AUSTRALIA HELPS TAIWAN TO PROBE SUSPICIOUS SHIP OVER OIL SPILL|調查綠島海域油汙元凶 環署追到澳洲

An oil spill off the coast of Lyudao, or Green Island, this March took two weeks to clean up. EPA investigators have tracked the spill to a Cypriot vessel in Australia, and they have boarded the vessel with the help of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to obtain samples for chemical analysis. The EPA said that this is the first time Taiwan and Australia have collaborated to investigate a marine pollution incident. Academics say that, regardless of whether the vessel is the true culprit, the investigation has been a diplomatic success. EPA officials have boarded a suspicious vessel sailing under the Cypriot flag, obtaining 15 samples of fuel from 7 oil tanks on board, as well as the vessel's navigation data. The officials had tracked the vessel suspected of an oil spill off Green Island this March to the town of Esperance in southwestern Australia. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority agreed to allow EPA officials to board the vessel and obtain samples. The vessel's navigation log showed that it had passed through the waters of eastern Taiwan on Mar. 9, but preliminary results show no evidence that the vessel was the culprit behind the spill. ==LEE YING-YUAN EPA Minister== Yes, the AIS system on board had suddenly stopped sending the signal at that time. Why would that be? So we based our suspicions on this. But we also have to compare the samples with what we found in the ocean, so before there is a clear answer we will keep our minds open. The EPA emphasized that this is the first time Taiwan and Australia have worked together to investigate a marine pollution incident. Academics also say that, regardless of whether the vessel is found, this investigation has been a diplomatic success. ==HUANG YUH-KAE Professor, Fu Jen University College of Law== This is an important example for Taiwan's environmental diplomacy. International treaties are clear on protocols for investigating pollution, but as we are not a party to these treaties and we also have unique political difficulties, I believe this breakthrough is, in a word, invaluable. The EPA said that the samples will arrive in Taiwan by Thursday, and that the chemical analysis will be completed in one week. Eight vessels have been targeted as suspects. The EPA said that it hopes this investigation will be a precedent for future investigations into other vessels so the culprit could be found with clear evidence, and the compensation process begun. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 今年三月，綠島沿岸及附近海域發現油污污染，花了二周才清理完畢，為了追查偷排的船舶，環保署人員在澳洲海事安全局的協助下，飛到澳洲、登上船籍為「賽普勒斯」的可疑船上進行採樣，後續還要經過化驗比對，環保署表示，這是台澳兩國首次合作追查海洋污染，學者認為，不管最後是不是找到肇事船舶，都算一次成功的跨國海洋環保外交。 環保署官員在海面上，爬著繩梯進到3萬多噸、船籍為賽普勒斯的可疑船上，採集船上7處油艙帶回15瓶含油樣品，也取得船舶國籍、航行資料。 因為今年三月，綠島沿岸及附近海域發現油污污染海洋，為了追查偷排船舶，環保署人員飛到澳洲西南部「埃斯佩蘭斯」小鎮，在澳洲海事安全局的協助下，同意我方政府登船查驗及採樣。從航行日誌上查證到，這艘船3月9號確實有經過台灣東部外海，但初步判斷沒有偷排的情況。 ==環保署長 李應元== 的確它的電腦就是在那段時間 AIS(船舶辨識)這個系統 怎麼會突然間 會沒有訊號 當時我們就從這裡面去 採取最大的可疑 其他的部分 因為你要 兩個兩邊(採樣)和我們 海底拿出來的東西要去核對 當然我們在還沒有確定之前 我們都是保持一個存疑 環保署強調，這是台澳兩國首次合作追查海洋污染，學者也認為，不管最後是不是找到肇事船舶，都是一次成功的跨國海洋環保外交。 ==輔仁大學法律學院教授 黃裕凱== 這是我們跨國一個環保外交 一個非常重要的典範 國際公約對這件事(追查污染) 規定很清楚 但是我們不是締約國 我們也有我們政治立場的問題 所以今天能夠做這個突破 是一句 是非常 從我的角度 是非常難能可貴的 環保署表示，採集的樣品週四就會送回台灣，化驗結果預計一周後出爐，目前共鎖定八艘可疑船，希望有了這個跨國合作案例，後續也能比照追查，用嚴謹的蒐證，找出兇手進行求償。 許恆慈 邱福財 台北