FOC illegal anchoring main cause of near-shore cable damageStaff writer, with CNAA government report released yesterday identified vessels dropping anchor as the most common cause of disruptions to Taiwan’s near-shore undersea cables, highlighting a risk posed by ships flying flags of convenience (FOC). Of the seven incidents recorded last year, three were caused by anchor strikes (42.9 percent) -- two of which were attributed to FOC vessels anchoring illegally, the report said. 3 (TP3) undersea cable connecting Taiwan and Penghu. Meanwhile, the report tallied 25 disruptions to international undersea cables in deeper waters -- beyond the 24-nautical-mile limit -- last year. The primary cause of these deep-sea failures was identified as natural disasters, specifically underwater earthquakes, the report noted.

Source: Taipei Times April 07, 2026 17:12 UTC