Legislators across party lines sought yesterday to push for new legislation to protect the environment.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Wen-yen (邱文彥), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) and People First Party Legislator Chang Show-foong (張曉風) called for cross-party cooperation on legislation to protect local wetlands and coastlines.
On Feb. 2, World Wetlands Day, the three legislators held a joint public hearing to press for the protection of a wetland area near Wugoushui Village (五溝水), in Pingtung County’s Wanluan Township (萬巒).
Photo: CNA
The county government has proposed building anti-flood works near the village, a move that is considered likely to damage the eco-system of an area that is rich in springs and rare fish species.
Chiu, a former Environmental Protection Administration deputy minister, said it is essential that local fishermen are better informed about coastline reserves.
“We have to make sure they are aware that setting up a coastline reserve is not the same thing as limiting fishing,” Chiu said. “Instead, setting up a reserve to protect the coastline, where the ecosystem is particularly fragile, facilitates the cultivation of fishery resources.”
Similarly, pushing for new legislation to protect the country’s wetlands is aimed at ensuring sustainable development, Chiu added.
Legislation to protect the wetlands ensures that development projects in such areas strictly adhere to standard procedures, he said. It also has the added benefit of providing guidance on how to conduct research into wetlands and educating the public on how best to protect them, he said.
Chang, a writer and prominent environmental activist, said one of her major goals as a legislator is to push for the passage of bills that protect the nation’s coastlines and wetlands.
Having made a name for herself as a result of her opposition to the building of a biotech research center on wetlands in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) in 2010, Chang has said she would like to work with legislators from other parties.
Meanwhile, Tien stressed the need for more communication with fishermen’s associations, in the light of an expected backlash from such groups over the designation of coastline reserve areas.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
The Taipei District Court today ruled to extend the incommunicado detention of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) for two more months as part of an ongoing corruption trial. Codefendants in the case — real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ko's former mayoral office head Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) — were granted bail of NT$100 million (US$3.4 million) and NT$20 million respectively. Sheen and Lee would also be barred from leaving the country for eight months and prohibited from contact with, harassing, threatening or inquiring after the case with codefendants or witnesses. The two would also be