Coronavirus-free island nation of Palau could soon vaccinate almost all its people
Adam Taylor and Miriam Berger, The Washington Post
Jan. 5, 2021
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The tiny island nation of Palau could be one of the first countries to vaccinate nearly its entire population against the coronavirus. If it succeeds, it will have Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. vaccine development and distribution plan, to thank.
Palau is spread across hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 500 miles east of the Philippines. The nation s isolation has substantial downsides, but it has served as a shield during the coronavirus pandemic: Palau has not recorded a single case of covid-19, the illness caused by the virus.
The United States Embassy in Palau commended last week the action the nation has taken against the Chinese fishing vessel and its crew members for alleged unlawful entry and other possible breaches of the laws.
In a Statement from US Embassy Koror Ambassador John Hennessey-Niland last Friday, he said, America, steadfastly support Palau s efforts to protect its territorial sovereignty and prevent People s Republic of China (PRC)-flagged vessels from engaging in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,
The US has accused China of having a record IUU fishing, rule breaking and willful environmental degradation.
Chinese vessel with 28 crew detained in Palau. Supplied
Chinese Boat Illegally Fishing in Protected Areas Detained in Palau
The Pacific nation of Palau detained a Chinese ship and its crew after they were found allegedly poaching sea cucumbers from protected waters in the Paluan archipelago.
According to the Paluan authorities from the Department of Marine Law and Enforcement, the main vessel, six smaller boats, and its 28 person crew were intercepted at Helen Reef and escorted back to the main island of Koror.
Victor Remengesau, who heads up the department of marine law and enforcement, told The Guardian that the vessel had an estimated 225 kg of sea cucumber on board.
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Long a topic discussed in connection with the South China Sea, illegal Chinese fishing vessels are of increasing concern for Pacific Island nations.
As recently as early this week, the archipelago nation of Palau, east of the Philippines and north of New Guinea, announced that it had intercepted and detained a Chinese fishing vessel and six smaller boats in its territorial waters after it was confirmed the vessel had entered unlawfully and was illegally fishing sea cucumber.
The fishing vessel was apprehended in Helen Reef, Palau’s most southernmost region, by a Guardian-class patrol boat that Australia had delivered to Palau in September.