TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said 6,000 volunteers will be recruited to serve at 159 coastal checkpoints to bolster Taiwan’s maritime defense.

Kuan’s announcement on Saturday (Sept. 21) comes after China has stepped up gray zone tactics in the past three months with two different incidents of speedboats entering Taiwan. "Our coast patrol is limited, but the power of the people is unlimited," said Kuan.

At the beginning, five volunteer teams will be based on geographical regions—north, central, south, east, and outlying islands—with 186 volunteers at the outset. Though the volunteers will be unarmed, they will tasked with important functions such as reporting ships invading Taiwan's territorial waters, per Liberty Times.

Should ships cause a nuisance in Taiwan’s territorial waters, reports will immediately be made to relevant authorities. Furthermore, marine patrol equipment for maritime patrol, land, sea, and air will be upgraded. Volunteers will be vital in correcting deficiencies experienced with radar-detecting small ships and vessels.

According to early reporting,159 security checkpoints will be located in commercial ports, fishing ports, and coastal outposts. Each checkpoint will be a base for a coastal patrol volunteer team of 35 people.

Coast Guard officials said a pilot program for volunteers will begin at hotspot security checkpoints, gradually expanding nationwide. Once the volunteer group is formed, they will assist the Coast Guard in preventing maritime conflicts, gray zone activities, illegal immigration, smuggling, and illegal fishing.

Furthermore, when a major maritime disaster occurs, potentially causing marine pollution, volunteers will be permitted to sail their boats or accompany patrol ships to assist in rescue operations or decontamination, depending upon the mission. However, volunteers will not accompany Coast Guard ships carrying out law enforcement activities.