Negotiations are still under way for a national marine park covering Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼), Mianhua Islet (棉花嶼) and Huaping Islet (花瓶嶼), a Ministry of the Interior official said yesterday.
The government does not have a fixed timetable for establishing the park, Construction and Planning Agency Director Hsu Wen-lung (許文龍) said.
The park plan has been criticized by local fishermen, who have raised concerns about their fishing rights in the area, he said.
Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times
The three volcanic islets — with a combined landmass of 1.29km2 — are administered by Keelung.
Pengjia, at about 55km from Taiwan proper, is the farthest away of the three and is slightly more than 140km west of the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), making it the closest Taiwan-held territory to the islands claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan.
Keelung Fishermen’s Association executive secretary Chen Wen-chin (陳文欽) said that the waters around the islets are considered important fishing grounds because they are rich in mackerel, skipjack tuna and prawns.
The ministry should thoroughly discuss any plans that would regulate fishing in proposed reservation areas, Chen said.
If established, the new park would be the second marine national park, following the inauguration of the South Penghu Marine National Park in October last year.
Additional reporting by Lu Hsien-hsiu
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