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Studies have shown the abundance of fisheries resources in the waters of the northern part of the Philippines bordering southern Taiwan. However, discrepancies in legal frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, and cultural practices, as well as maritime boundary issues, contribute to complexities in collaboration. This paper thus aims to provide an understanding into the intricacies and challenges faced by both countries in managing their shared fishing resources. By analyzing the relevant international laws and instruments on fisheries cooperation, the paper shows what coastal states and entities fishing in the high seas could do to manage and conserve fishery resources in disputed areas. Existing fisheries agreements in the region such as the Taiwan–Japan Fisheries Cooperation provide a template of the kind of cooperation that can be concluded within the overlapping waters of both nations. Results of the analysis show how important it is for both nations to acknowledge the significance of fisheries cooperation in the overlapping waters. By recognizing the mutual benefits of sustainable resource management through peaceful dialogue, establishing a fisheries cooperation under the legal framework of the WCPFC is the logical solution. The findings contribute to understanding the complexities of cross-border fisheries cooperation and provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries-Related Crimes (FRC) pose a significant threat to any country's national security, with illicit activities often concealed within the expansive and seemingly innocuous domain of fishing vessels. This paper explores the need to strengthen port inspection protocols to counteract illegal activities utilizing fishing vessels as conduits. The fishing vessel Inspection Criteria (ICs) were developed based on port inspection features and relevant literature. The Best-Worse Method (BWM) is then used to weigh those ICs, creating a new inspection checklist. Finally, based on the checklist, an improved inspection procedure is proposed. The results may provide government authorities and policymakers with practical information on effectively and efficiently conducting port security inspections on fishing vessels and preventing FRCs. • The paper aims to construct an efficient inspection procedure for port security. • The paper proposes two checklists for fishing vessel inspection based on the experience of the Taiwan CGA. • Based on the two checklists, the paper proposes a two-stage inspection procedure for port security inspectors. • The proposed inspection procedure can improve the efficiency of port security inspections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]