JANUARY

• As of January 1, 2017, on the basis of the regulations governing the format, content, frequency and manner of reports from the agro-pesticide manufacturer and dealer regulated by Paragraph 2, Article 35 in the Agropesticides Management Act, pesticide businesses shall regularly report, to the pesticide sales management information system constructed by the COA, information related to the types, amounts, and trading partners for any pesticides they import or sell.
   
• The COA announced amendments to Article 10 and Article 10-1 of the Regulations Governing the Business Guidance, Fund Accommodations and Redeposit of Surplus Funds for the Credit Department of Farmers’and Fishermen’s Associations.
   
• Announced amendments to Articles 11 and 16 of the Regulations Governing Election and Recall of the Farmers Association.
   
• Announced amendments to partial articles of the Regulations for Inspection of Dogs, Cats and Cloven-Hoofed Animals Shipped in or out Penghu County, and renamed the Regulations as the “Regulations for Inspection of Cloven-Hoofed Animals Shipped in or out Penghu County.”
   
• Announced amendments to Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 5 of the Operational Directions for Simplification on Conducting Quarantine Inspection of Import and Export Animal Products.
   
• Announced and promulgated the Operation Directions on Post-entry Quarantine of Imported Birds.
   
• In coordination with the announcement of amendments to (i) the Act for Distant Water Fisheries, (ii) partial articles of the Act to Govern Investment in the Operation of Foreign Flag Fishing Vessels, and (iii) partial articles of the Fisheries Act, the COA also issued 15 implementing regulations, effective as of January 20.
   
• Participated in the “5th Meeting of the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management
   
• Organization” and related meetings in Adelaide, Australia.
   
• Participated in the “68th Session of the Executive Committee of the African-Asian Rural Development Organization” (AARDO) in Dhaka, People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
   
• Promoted the pilot scheme of income insurance for sugar apples (aka custard apples), adopting a policy-oriented insurance method, and handling underwriting and claims through the three-level system of farmers’ associations.

FEBRUARY

• The COA announced the promulgation of the Regulations for Implementation and Subsidy of Sugar Apple Income Insurance Pilot Scheme.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Directions for Assisting Tobacco Farmers’ Declaration of Giving up Tobacco Production Voluntarily.
   
• Announced amendments to the List of Objects Subjected to Animal Quarantine, retroactively effective as of January 1, 2017.
   
• Announced the abolition of the ban on importation of horses, pigs, dogs and cats from Bangladesh, in order to prevent the introduction of Nipah virus.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Operation Directions on Escort of Imported Animals from Ports of Entry to Post-entry Quarantine Facilities. Finalized the “Standard operating procedures for confirmation of foot-and-mouth disease non-structural protein (NSP) antibody positive reaction and infection case of cloven-hoofed animals.”
   
• Promulgated the “contract template for harvesting and transporting forestry products from national (state owned) forest.”
   
• As of zero hour on February 6, all public animal shelters completely halted all humane euthanasia, with the original rule that shelters could undertake humane euthanasia after 12 days being changed to only permitting it in cases in which, after inspection by a veterinarian, the animal is found (a) to have a legally defined communicable disease, (b) to have a severe incurable illness, (c) to be an animal seriously affecting the health of its environment, or (d) in other emergency situations.
   
• The COA attended the 11th meeting of the APEC “Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade” (EGILAT).

MARCH

• The COA announced amendments to Paragraphs 2, 10, 11, 13, and 19 of the Enforcement Directions for Offering Reforestation and Seedling Allocation of the Plain Afforestation.
   
• Announced the amendment of the Directions for Voluntary Fishing Suspense, effective as of April 1, 2017.
• 
  Announced amendments to Article 3 and its supplement of the Regulations on the Reporting for Data of Investment in the Operation of Foreign Flag Fishing Vessels.
   
• Announced the amendment of the Schedule of Protected Species.
   
• Announced the amendment of the Regulations for Input Management of Eel Aquaculture.
   
• The COA announced those areas to which it would deliver agricultural natural-disaster cash relief and lowinterest natural-disaster recovery loans as a result of low temperatures in February of 2017.
   
• Announced the “assistance measures from agricultural finance agencies in response to the outbreak of avian influenza in 2017.”
   
• Announced the “directions for recommendation of domestic biofertilizer brands.”
   
• The COA held the “6th Taiwan-Thailand Agricultural Cooperation Conference.” The two parties reached consensus on 12 cooperative projects.
   
• Held the “50th Anniversary of Taiwan-German Agricultural Cooperation and International Symposium on Agricultural Circulation Economy.” Senior scholars from Germany were invited to share Germany’s experiences in carrying out circular agriculture.
   
• Under the New Southbound Policy, the COA arranged for farmland irrigation cooperation with Indonesia. Officials and scholars from Indonesia came to Taiwan and learned experiences including the process of agricultural development in Taiwan, mechanized agricultural production, construction of farmland irrigation systems, and management and maintenance of irrigation systems

APRIL

• The COA announced amendments to Paragraphs 3, 8, and 10 of the Afforestation Operation Directions of Infertile Farmland Verified by Farming System Adjustment and Farmland Revitalization Program.
   
• Announced amendments to Articles 3, 5, and 13, and the abolition of Articles 15 and 16, of the Regulations for Administration of Pet Registration. Announced the amendment of Appendix 3-1 of Article 3 of Regulations of Agro-pesticides Specification.
   
• Announced amendments to Articles 5, 12, 25, 25-1, 27, 30, 30-1, and 33-1, and the addition of Article 25-2, of the Animal Protection Act.
   
• Announced the amendment of the Directions for Pilot Program for Rice Direct Payment.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Regulations for the Registration of Farms and Agricultural Cooperatives Applying to Exempt from Profit-seeking Enterprise Income Tax.
   
• Held the “2017 Agricultural Good Idea Creative Capital-Raising Competition,” and separately rewarded proposals for smart agriculture, circular agriculture, and applications of agricultural open data.
   
• Participated in the “Taiwan and European Union (EU) High-Level Meeting on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing,” where we urged the EU to remove the “Yellow Card” given to Taiwan.
   
• Held the “17th Taiwan-Netherlands Agricultural Working Group Meeting.” The two parties studied concrete methods to resolve seven issues including inspection and quarantine of plants and animals, and reached consensus on five cooperative projects.
   
• Participated in the “2nd Meeting of the Small Scientific Committee on Pacific Saury” and the “2nd Scientific Committee Meeting” of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission in Shanghai.

MAY

• The COA announced amendments to Articles 5, 6, 12 through 14, 19, 24, and 26-1, and the addition of Article 12-2, of the Agricultural Natural Disasters Relief Regulations, and upgraded the level of the “items and amounts about the agricultural natural disasters relief,” incorporating it into the Regulations as a supplement to Article 6.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Directions for Fishing Vessels to Harbor and the Crews to Shelter from Storm during the Typhoon Warning Duration.
   
• Announced the promulgation of (i) the Directions for the Review of Eco-friendly Farming Promotion Groups and (ii) the Directions for Organic and Eco-friendly Farming Subsidies.
   
• Announced amendments to the Taiwan Good Agricultural Practice (TGAP) of Aquaculture Fish Products-Finfish, and renamed the Practice as “Taiwan Good Agricultural Practice (TGAP)-Finfish.” We added 11 fish species, including grass carp, crucian carp, and common carp, and integrated five other species (grouper, bass, Taiwan tilapia, eel, and milkfish); so far we have announced a total of 36 species of aquaculture fish.
   
• Abolished the Regulations for Importation of Dogs or Cats into Taiwan, and on the 5th of the same month we announced the amendment of Paragraph 4 and Supplementary 1-24 (Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Dogs and Cats) of the Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Animals and Animal Products.
   
• The COA announced those areas to which it would deliver agricultural natural-disaster cash relief and lowinterest natural-disaster recovery loans as a result of frost damage in April of 2017.
   
• The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recognized Taiwan proper, Penghu County, and Matsu as a zone that is “foot-and-mouth disease-free where vaccination is practised.”
   
• The COA consulted with the Taiwan Sugar Corporation to add 3,000 hogs for domestic markets, and to add May 15 as a closed day of auction markets, in response to consumer demand for pork during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
   
• Held the “2nd Top 100 Young Farmers Achievement Exhibition” and product promotion activity.
   
• Participated in the “Taiwan Expo 2017” in Jakarta, Indonesia. After taking account of the special features of and demand in the Indonesian market, we selected four outstanding domestic companies to participate, including a maker of agricultural machinery, a maker of agricultural facilities, a maker of microbial additives, and a processor of chicken meat (Halal) food products.
   
• Held the “Biodiversity Forum,” inviting scholars and experts to share the content of the “Aichi Targets” and “Cancun Declaration” of the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

JUNE

• The COA announced the amendment of the Regulations of Loan for Expanding the Family Farm to Support Farmers Buying Land.
   
• Announced amendments to Articles 2, 5, 21, 23, 24, 27, and 35, and the addition of Article 19-1 and relevant loan directions, of the Regulations Governing Policy-Oriented Special Agricultural Loan, effective as of the 9th of the same month.
   
• Announced the amendment of the Regulations for Examining the Application of Structuring Farming Facilities on Agricultural Land.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Directions of Loan for Agricultural Insurance, effective as of the 9th of the same month.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Directions for the Banana Seedling Diseases Verification.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the Primary Agricultural Products List Referred to in Paragraph 1, Article 47-1 of the Agricultural Development Act.
   
• Announced the promulgation of Paragraph 3, Article 41-1 of the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases Specifies the Set Period and the Specific Types of Animal Diseases.
   
• Announced amendments to the List of Objects Subjected to Animal Quarantine, which came into effect on the 22nd of the same month.
   
• Announced the amendment of Supplementary 2-1 of Paragraph 5 of the Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Animals and Animal Products, and renamed the Supplementary from “Quarantine Requirements for Sperm, Unfertilized Eggs and Fertilized Eggs” to “Quarantine Requirements for Alive Fish, Its Sperm, Unfertilized Eggs, and Fertilized Eggs.”
   
• The amendment of the COA’s Poultry Inspection and Approval Label came into effect on June 1, 2017, and was comprehensively implemented starting on August 1 of the same year. The COA announced that the Regional Rice Harvest Insurance offered by Fubon Insurance would be an agricultural insurance product for which the COA will subsidize farmers who take out such insurance.
   
• Announced those areas to which it would deliver agricultural natural-disaster cash relief and low-interest natural-disaster recovery loans as a result of torrential rains on June 1, 2017.
   
• Announced those areas to which it would deliver agricultural natural-disaster cash relief and low-interest natural-disaster recovery loans as a result of torrential rains on June 13, 2017.


• Announced the suspension of the importation into Taiwan of live tilapia from Columbia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel, Thailand, and mainland China.
   
• Along with the French Office in Taipei, the COA held the “2017 Taiwan-France Symposium on Circular Agriculture,” with the agenda including “Circular Agriculture in Taiwan and France,” the “4 per 1000 Initiative,” and “Practical Example on Circular Agriculture.”
   
• The European Union’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development sent personnel to Taiwan to hold a working group meeting on issues including market access for organic agriculture products and a bilateral agreement on organic equivalence, and to convene the “2017 Taiwan-EU Organic Food Trade Seminar.” In addition, in the same month, the Agricultural Marketing Service of the US Department of Agriculture also sent personnel to Taiwan to undertake field verification for Taiwan’s application to the US to recognize equivalence of organic products.

JULY

• The COA announced amendments to partial provisions of the Directions on Issuing an Organic Labeling Approval Document of Imported Animal Products and Animal Processed Products, effective as of the date of the announcement.
   
• • Announced the promulgation of (i) the Regulations Governing Anti-Money Laundering of Agricultural Financial Institutions and (ii) the Regulations Governing Agricultural Financial Institutions’ Reporting on the Property, Property Interests and Location of the Property and Property Interests of the Designated Individual, Legal Person or Entity. Also, announced amendments to the Directions Governing Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism Financing for Credit Departments of Famers’ and Fishermen’s Associations, with the name changed to the “Directions Governing Internal Controls of the Credit Departments of Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Associations for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism Financing,” effective as of June 28, 2017. Finally, abolished the Regulations for Any Currency Transactions Exceeding a Certain Amount of Money and to Be Suspected as Money Laundering Activities Reported by Agricultural Financial Institutions.
   
• Announced that according to Paragraph 1, Article 32-2 of Veterinary Drugs Control Act, veterinary drug manufacturers and importers shall regularly submit the specific drug data.
   
• Announced amendments to (i) Subparagraph 14, Paragraph 1, (ii) Subparagraph 17, Paragraph 2 and its supplementary “Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Fresh Melon Fruits from Honduras,” and (iii) Paragraph 10, all under Part B of Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Plants or Plant Products into the Republic of China.
   
• The COA announced those areas to which it would deliver agricultural natural-disaster cash relief and lowinterest natural-disaster recovery loans as a result of Typhoon Nesat and Typhoon Haitang.
   
• The COA asked, by letter, institutions that give out loans to relax decisions on individual applications from farmers and fishermen for “agricultural energy conservation and carbon-emissions reduction loans” in cases where the individual sells electricity; the electricity contract that accompanies the application must be in the name of the individual or of a sole-proprietorship organization for which the individual is the responsible person, to meet the needs of taxation.
   
• Promoted the “2017 work plan for supplementing and correcting data of persons insured under Farmers’ Health Insurance in the farmers’ welfare information management system.”
   
• Began implementing control measures over the purchase of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, and continued to coordinate with vaccination supply firms to control their import volume and timetables, to facilitate the ability to continue to stabilize the supply of vaccine prior to implementing the complete halt on vaccinations for foot-and-mouth disease.
   
• Held the “1st Taiwan-India Joint Working Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries” in New Delhi, India.
   
• Participated in the “3rd Annual Meeting of the Commission of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission” and of relevant committees in Japan.
   
• Poland’s representative in Taiwan Dr. Maciej Artur Gaca and Taiwan’s representative in Poland Henry Chen separately in Taipei and Warsaw represented their governments in signing the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Warsaw Trade Office in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Warsaw on Establishing a Consultation Mechanism in the Field of Agriculture.” Along with the Water Resources Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the COA held the “2017 barrier lake emergency response joint drill.”
   
• The COA held a press conference on the transnational migratory path of the critically endangered Chinese crested tern.
   
• Held the “2nd Taiwan-Hungary Conference on Agricultural Cooperation” in Taipei, reaching agreement on 12 cooperation issues.
   
• Set up an agricultural pavilion at the “2017 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition” in Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center.

AUGUST

• The COA comprehensively promoted a traceability system for domestically produced fresh poultry meat.
   
• Announced amendments to the Operational Directions for Subsidies on Pilot Agriculture Natural Disasters Insurance, and renamed the Directions as the “Operational Directions for Subsidies on Pilot Agricultural Insurance.”
   
• Announced the amendment of Supplementary 4-6 (Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Dog and Cat Food) of Paragraph 8 of Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Animals and Animal Products, effective as of September 4.


• Announced amendments to the List of Protected Wildlife That Require Prior Permission of the Authorities before Their Live Specimen and Products Can Be Traded, Displayed or Exhibited in Public Areas.
   
• Announced the Restricted Use on Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam and Clothianidin.
   
• Announced that the Aquaculture Insurance with Precipitation Parameter offered by the Taiwan Fire and Marine Insurance Company would be an insurance product for aquaculture natural disasters for which the COA will subsidize aquaculture operators who take out such insurance.
   
• Launched the “2017 fishing vessel (raft) registry inventory,” under which each municipality and county (city) government conducted an inventory of fishing vessels (rafts) whose licenses are out of date or fishing vessels (rafts) with a valid license but which have not left harbor for two years or more.
   
• The COA, in cooperation with the Asian Productivity Organization, held the “International Conference on Biopesticides and Biofertilizers.”
   
• In cooperation with Vietnam, held the “2017 APEC Capacity Building Workshop on Food Losses and Waste Reduction for a Sustainable APEC Food System” in Can Tho, Vietnam.
   
• Participated in the 12th meeting of the APEC “Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade” (EGILAT).
   
• Participated in the APEC “Ministers-CEO Dialogue” and the “High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Response to Climate Change” (Ministerial Level).
   
• Announced the amendment of Supplementary 4-2 (Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Poultry Meat) of Paragraph 8 of the Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Animals and Animal Products, effective as of August 24.
   
• Announced the amendment of Supplementary 4-3 (Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Meat Derived from Cloven-hoofed Animals) of Paragraph 8 of the Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Animals and Animal Products, effective as of August 24.

SEPTEMBER

• The COA announced the ban on 4.95% fipronil suspension concentrate, effective as of the day of the announcement.


• Announced that new areas of agricultural land located in severe land subsidence areas and unfavorable for agricultural management can set up green energy facilities. There are a grand total of 20 such areas, covering 1,130 hectares. The announcement took effect from the date of declaration.
   
• Announced the results of the national inventory of agricultural and farmland resources, and convened public meetings to explain the inventory results and follow-up policy directions.
   
• Held the “2017 awards and farmers’ market for Traceable Agricultural Products success stories” at the Hope Plaza in Taipei City.
   
• The COA cooperated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the “Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program,” selecting 30 young farmers as ambassadors representing Taiwan to visit Indonesia and the Philippines for one week, engaging in in-depth exchanges with local agricultural authorities.
   
• Sent personnel to the US to participate in the “24th Session of the AIT-TECRO Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Agricultural Standards Working Group Consultations,” at which the two sides discussed 16 important issues including bilateral food safety testing and sanitary and phytosanitary measures for plants and animals.
   
• Held the African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) International Workshop on “Aquaculture Technology and Industry Development.”
   
• Along with the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center and the National Training Institute for Farmers’ Organizations, held the “International Seminar on Enhancing Agricultural Cooperatives’ Roles in Response to Changes in Food Consumption Trends.”
   
• Held, in Taipei, the “12th Taiwan-Canada Conference on Agricultural Cooperation,” reaching consensus on seven issues including pet food market entry, cooperation in facilities agriculture, equivalence of organic certification, Taiwan-Canada cooperation on health-food crops, and the systematic inspection of Canadian genetically-modified salmon, dairy products, and seafood products.
   
• Attended the “2017 ACTS Workshop on Extreme Weather Forecast and Water Resources Management” in Vietnam.
   
• With Stephen G. Clews, representative of the UK’s Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR), the COA signed a Letter of Intent to Cooperate on Heritage Railways, as the W&LLR and the Alishan Forest Railway formally established sister railway relations.
   
• In cooperation with the Taiwan Branch of UBM Asia, the COA held, at the Nankang Exhibition Center in Taipei, the “2017 Asia Agri-Tech Expo and Forum” where 41 results of R&D in industries and three results of industry services and turnkey plant exports were on display.
   
• Cooperated in holding, at the Taipei World Trade Center, the “2017 Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart,” where 45 results of R&D in agricultural technology with the potential to be commercialized were on display.

OCTOBER

• Announced the amendment of Article 4 of the Regulations for Animal Protection Courses.
   
• Announced amendments to partial articles of the Regulations Governing the Certification of Premium Agricultural Produce.
   
• Announced amendments to (i) Article 8-1 of the Standards for Types and Tolerance Levels of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Health-hazard Materials in Pet Food and (ii) Article 5 of the Regulations for Pet Food Vendor Registration.
   
• Announced the promulgation of the ban to manufacture, process, and import 24% Paraquat SL and 33.6% Paraquat+Diuron SC from 1st February 2018, and to prohibit repackaging, selling, and use of the said pesticides from 1st February 2019, effective as of the day of the announcement.
   
• The COA announced those areas to which it would deliver agricultural natural-disaster cash relief and lowinterest natural-disaster recovery loans as a result of torrential rains on October 11, 2017.
   
• Announced that the Regional Harvest-related Mango Insurance offered by Cathay Century Insurance would be a crop insurance product for which the COA will subsidize farmers who take out such insurance.
   
• Announced that the Aquaculture Insurance with Temperature Parameter offered by Fubon Insurance would be an insurance product for aquaculture natural disasters for which the COA will subsidize aquaculture operators who take out such insurance.
   
• Announced the Suspension of the Importation of Live Tilapia from List of Countries (Zones) with Reported Case(s) of Tilapia Lake Virus, and suspended the importation into Taiwan of live tilapia from mainland China, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, Columbia, Ecuador, and Egypt.
   
• Sent personnel to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to attend the “12th Meeting of the Compliance Committee and the Extended Commission of the 24th Annual Meeting” of the “Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna.” The meeting confirmed that the global total allowable catch (TAC) for the southern bluefin tuna in 2018, 2019, and 2020 would be set at 17,647 tons, and that Taiwan’s allocations would be 1,240.5 tons.
   
• The Mitagri Company and Japan’s Farmind Corporation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Tokyo, and set a target that within five years the two sides would purchase a total of 10 billion Yen of agriproducts from Taiwan and Japan.
   
• The COA held the “14th Taiwan-Australia Agricultural Working Group Meeting,” at which the two parties shared experiences and exchanged views on agricultural policy, market entry, food safety, and agricultural cooperative projects.
   
• Organized the project for experts from the African-Asian Rural Development Organization to come to Taiwan to study “Food Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Produce of Smallholders.”
   
• Attended the “4th APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry.”

NOVEMBER

• The COA announced revision to the Directions for Livestock Waste Compost Plant.
   
• Announced promulgation of the Directions for Subsidies of Trial Poultry Industry Insurance.
   
• Announced that the avian influenza insurance offered by MSIG Mingtai Insurance would be an insurance product for which the COA will subsidize poultry farm operators who take out such insurance.
   
• Presented the “Taiwan Wood” label for domestic wood and bamboo.
   
• Held the “Sea of Flowers in Xinshe” event at farm #2 of the COA’s Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propogation Station.


• Attended the “4th ANZTEC Sanitary and Phytosanitary Joint Management Committee Meeting” in New Zealand, where there were discussions of the issue of market entry for agriproducts from both sides and of future cooperative activities.
   
• Attended the “Joint Meeting of the Annual Meeting of the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization” in Rome, Italy.
   
• Participated in the “Taiwan Expo 2017” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and solicited entries from, and selected, outstanding agribusinesses and food processing firms from Taiwan to participate.
   
• Along with the American Institute in Taiwan, the COA held, in Taipei, the “2017 APEC Workshop on Wildlife Rabies Management.”
   
• Attended the “25th Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas” in Marrakesh, Morocco.
   
• Attended the “30th Conference of the OIE Regional Commission for Asia, the Far East and Oceania” in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

DECEMBER

• The COA announced amendments to the Regulations Governing Payment of the Reciprocation Fund for the Development and Utilization of Hillsides.
   
• Announced the deletion of recognition of France as a country free of Newcastle disease, effective as of the day of the announcement. Any shipment of animals and animal products loaded on board for the Republic of China prior to the effective date of this announcement remained eligible for export to the Republic of China.
   
• Attended the “14th Regular Session of the Commission of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission” in Manila, the Philippines. The 2018 bigeye tuna quota for Taiwanese longliners was increased by 806 metric tons compared to 2017; the time period for the ban on use of fish aggregation devices by purse seine fishing vessels operating in exclusive economic zones was reduced from four to three months, while the ban on their use on the high seas was reduced from a year-round ban to a five-month ban.
   
• Attended the “2nd Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Pacific Saury Stock Assessment of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission” in Vladivostok, Russia.
   
• Participated in the “2017 Healthcare+ Expo,” setting up an “Agricultural Technology Pavilion” and putting on display 52 new results of R&D.


• Held the “Exhibition of Premium Agricultural Products from Taiwan” at the National Taiwan University Sports Center, where we exhibited the “Top 100 Premium Agricultural Products of Farmers’ and Fishermen’s Associations” as well as selected high-quality agriproducts produced by young farmers and rural communities.
   
• The COA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, to pro-actively promote technical cooperation and effectively work together to use the resources and technology of both parties.
   
• Launched the mobile online banking system for farmers’ and fishermen’s associations, the gold passbook system, and farmers’ and fishermen’s associations mobile payments—Taiwan Pay transfer from account to account, debiting of account, and consumer account-entry functions.
• Participated in the Taipei Building Show and for the first time set up a “Taiwan Pavilion for Domestically Produced Wood”; also, won the show’s “award for outstanding participating enterprise.”
   
• In cooperation with the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, promoted the Green Conservation Label (a mechanism for certifying farmland ecological protection), winning a National Sustainable Development Award from the Executive Yuan.