TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ocean Affairs Council has drawn up a list of 96 ships with flags of convenience and rated them according to the danger they pose to Taiwan, reports said Saturday.

Cargo ships registered in countries from Mongolia to Togo but owned and crewed by Chinese have been suspected of trying to damage submarine telecommunication cables in the waters around Taiwan. The Coast Guard Administration has inspected some of the ships and detained the captain when deemed necessary.

The movements and actions of the 96 ships have been observed and analyzed, per CNA. As a result, they were divided into four categories, from ships posing a high level of threat, a mid-range level, and a low level to vessels posing no threat.

Most of the ships on the list usually appear near ports on Taiwan’s west coast, in the Taiwan Strait. The ships ranked as posing the highest threat are often located north of Keelung.

The activities of the ships notably decreased during February, the Ocean Affairs Council said.  In October, the authorities noticed 39 blacklisted ships near Taiwan, in November 47, in December 46, and in January 45. The number dropped to 38 in February, with no high-risk vessels appearing near north Taiwan.

The council said it was too early to determine whether the situation had changed for the better, or whether the ships were temporarily adjusting their movements. The drawing up of the list also serves to prevent disasters, including the pollution of waters and coastlines.