May 19, 2026 — The Maritime and Port Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications held the “2025 Outstanding Pilots Award Ceremony” today (May 19, 2026). Director Yeh Hsieh-lung personally presented certificates to the 10 pilots who received the excellence award, recognizing outstanding pilots nationwide for their outstanding performance in maintaining port navigation safety and improving the quality of pilot services. The award acknowledged their long-term frontline mission of ship piloting and departure missions and their professional contributions in actively supporting national maritime safety policies.
The Port and Port Bureau stated that pilots who achieve excellent evaluations not only demonstrate high professionalism and stability in daily pilotage operations, but also actively participate in navigation safety-related meetings and drills, assist in handling near-miss cases and reporting incidents affecting maritime safety. In the event of distress or lack of power, they help safely guide entry and exit of ports, fully demonstrating their professional competence and sense of responsibility. At the same time, it invests in training for newcomers, ship operation simulations, and tugboat crew training, offering professional advice and continuously strengthening the overall safety of port operations.
To continuously improve diversion safety, the Harbor and Port Bureau is continuously implementing multiple advanced measures. Regarding the pilot tariff system, opinions from pilots, shipping operators, shipping agents, and port units have been widely collected, and the overall rate structure has been reviewed and revised toward clearer definitions and formulaic calculations. To strengthen pilot safety management, the Maritime and Port Bureau issued the “Specifications Guidelines for New Pilot Vessels” on March 20, 2026, enhancing the safety performance and working environment of pilot vessels. Regarding manual labor and fatigue management, health checks, and standards, it supervises pilot offices to ensure reasonable working and rest hours, submit schedule management according to regulations, and refer to international maritime organizations and relevant domestic and international practices. Relevant units will continue discussions, and administrative guidance will be issued soon. Confirm the safety and health status of pilots on duty, and maintain the safety of themselves and vessels entering and leaving ports.
The Bureau emphasized that pilots play a key role in port operations and the safe entry and exit of vessels. Their professional capabilities directly affect port operation safety. They hope that public recognition will enhance their professional image and social awareness. In the future, the Bureau will continue to improve the pilot system from various aspects, and through both regulatory amendments and administrative guidance, create a safer navigation environment.
