GUARDIANS: The agency’s duties range from protecting the nation’s territorial waters and watching against disease outbreaks to making sure elderly residents are cared for
Taipei Times
Date: Feb 11, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
Some say that the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is the easiest assignment for
Former Kinmen County councilor Chen Fu-hai, center left, on Nov. 23 last year canvases for votes on Mofan Street in Jincheng Township, Kinmen County, which is lined with Republic of China and People’s Republic of China flags. Photo: CNA
soldiers, as its personnel are often seen on beaches, but for those stationed in Kinmen County, cross-strait tensions can take different forms — from disease prevention to maritime defense.
Clad in fluorescent orange uniforms, coast guard personnel might appear distant to many Taiwanese, partly because they include military, police and administrative officers whose duties mainly cover emergency response.
The agency has drawn increasing public attention since a pig carcass was found on a Kinmen beach on Dec. 31 last year and was on Jan. 3 confirmed to be infected with the African swine fever virus.
The Council of Agriculture said that the carcass could have floated from China, where the disease appears to have spread out of control since China reported the first infection in August last year. [FULL STORY]
