Representatives from several environmental organizations yesterday morning protested in front of the New Taipei City (新北市) Government building, calling for an end to the construction of the Xiulang Reservoir (秀朗攔河堰) on the Sindian River (新店溪) because it would cause irreversible damage to the area’s ecosystem.
The Sindian River Basin Protection Alliance said the city government would spend about NT$350 million (US$11.47 million) constructing the 2.5m high reservoir 100m downstream from Xiulang Bridge, which would damage the river’s natural ecology with artificial concrete.
Organizer of the protest, alliance convener Chen Chien-Chih (陳建志), said the groups had attempted to discuss the risks of the reservoir with city officials several times, but the government never provided them with the results of an evaluation of the reservoir’s possible recreational and environmental benefits.
Jenner Lin (林金保), secretary-general of the Society of Wilderness, said other countries were promoting the idea of removing reservoirs to revive the natural ecosystem along rivers.
However, construction of the Xiulang Reservoir would cost about NT$350 million in taxpayers’ money, with additional millions for annual maintenance, when it harms the natural environment and there is not a desperate need for water acquisition, Lin said.
Taiwan Water Watch Alliance committee member Liang Yin-min (梁蔭民) said he was worried that the reservoir would lead to dead water in some parts of the river, causing non-native fish species, such as tilapia or the snakehead murrel (channa striata) to reproduce rapidly in such areas.
Taiwan Birdwatchers Group chairperson Ho Yi-shen (何一先) said in a written statement to the alliance that if the current in the river became too slow, the amount of dissolved oxygen would be reduced, leading to poor water quality and a breeding ground for bacteria.
For example, he said in the past there were instances at the Hwa-Jiang Wild Duck Nature Park when water the quality deteriorated and caused the deaths of hundreds of migratory ducks because they became infected with clostridium botulinum bacteria.
The protesters urged the city government to re-evaluate the recreational and ecological benefits of the reservior, to allow the public to participate in the decision-making process and to forbid the construction before a thorough evaluation of the environmental impact was completed.
The city’s Water Resources Department chief secretary, Chen Shi-hui (諶錫輝), received a petition from the protesters and said that the city government would continue to negotiate with civic groups and specialists about the issue.
Chen added the city would not begin construction of the reservoir before reaching a further consensus.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS