However, the Executive Yuan argues that Taiwan's coastal policing work also touches on national defense and sovereignty questions (with regard to the Tiaoyutai or Spratly Islands, for example). A single unified body with sufficient rank is necessary to integrate these functions with coastal and shoreline law enforcement and fishing harbor inspections.
但行政院認為，台灣的海防工作關係到台海安全及釣魚台、南海等主權的爭議，不該單純以走私、偷渡問題視之，必須兼顧維護治安及國防安全的雙重任務，因此唯有成立岸海一體的海岸巡防署，才能將海岸、岸際執法，與漁港安檢工作合一。