They believe the opening of direct shipping routes for Taiwanese and Chinese ships traveling to each other's ports will significantly increase the number of ships docking at the ports, and benefit harbors in Taiwan, which have seen a decline in ships in recent years.

A pilot working at the southern port city of Kaohsiung said business at Taiwan's largest harbor will definitely soar with the historic inauguration of the direct cross-Taiwan Strait shipping links Monday.

Taiwanese and Chinese ships will exchange an even greater number of visits to seaports from each other's side in days to come with the opening of cross-strait shipping links that was made possible after Taiwan and China sealed four agreements Nov. 4 to further expand transportation exchanges, launch postal services and address food safety issues.

The pilot, who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, said the number of vessels visiting Kaohsiung has suddenly soared with the launch of the cross-strait shipping links -- a phenomenon that was seldom seen over the past decade as Kaohsiung Harbor's container handling volume has been on a steady decline, with the number of container ships from around the world visiting it continuing to decrease.

He said he has keenly expected the launch of direct cross-strait shipping links, believing it will rev up Kaohsiung Harbor's business once and for all and boost his own incomes.

A pilot working at the northern port of Keelung said the opening was a shot in the arm for both the harbor and for Taiwan's pilots, whose incomes have decreased over the past several years noticeably due to declining shipping transport business in Taiwan.

The pilot, who was also reluctant to have his name known, said in recent months, his monthly salary -- mainly depending on the number of vessels he piloted -- has declined by about one-fourth to a tune between NT$300,000 and NT$400,000 (US$12,048), compared to an average of NT$500,000 per month during the 60s and 70s.

The shipping links officially got underway at 10 a.m. Monday at the Kaohsiung Harbor, with the Uni-Adroit, a full-container ship owned and operated by Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp, setting sail for China's northern port city of Tianjin.

The Uni-Adroit, with a capacity of 1,168 TEUs, was scheduled to sail directly from Kaohsiung to Tianjin's New Port before heading to the northern Chinese ports Dalian and Qingdao on its way home, according to an Evergreen spokesman.

Meanwhile, four container ships owned and operated by Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp., Taiwan Navigation Co. and China's Huarong Marine Co., respectively, also departed Monday from Taiwan's northern port of Keelung for various Chinese seaports, including Shanghai and Dalian.

Also on Monday, 15 Chinese vessels were scheduled to set sail from six Chinese seaports, including Tianjin and Shanghai, for Taiwan's Kaohsiung, Keelung and Taichung harbors.

A maritime pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. Legally the master remains in command of the ship. The pilot is a senior adviser only. It is one of the oldest, least known professions and yet one of the most important in terms of maritime safety. The economic and environmental risk from today's large cargo ships makes the role of the pilot essential.

Normally the pilot joins an incoming ship at sea via pilot boat and climbs a swaying Jacob's ladder sometimes up 40 feet to the deck of the largest container and tanker ships. With outgoing vessels, a pilot boat returns the pilot to land after the ship has successfully negotiated coastal waters.