A former fisherman has forged a second career from the conservation of the sea turtles that forage and lay eggs around the unpolluted coastline of Pingtung County’s Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球).
Former fishing vessel captain and native to the island Lee Wen-te (李文得), 56, said at first he was a volunteer on a project to conserve the turtles, and he became an ecotour guide this year through the Ministry of Labor’s multiple employment promotion project.
Lee said he had spent more time at sea than in his hometown, as each voyage to and from distant fishing grounds took nearly two years.
Photo: Chen Yen-ting, Taipei Times
Although he welcomes visitors who come to see the turtles foraging in the shallow waters around the island, Lee said that he is also concerned about the possible impact of tourism on the island’s ecosystem, so he decided to raise awareness about the turtles by running ecotours.
Ecotours can become a bridge between nature and tourists, Lee said, adding that every day he guides tours to coastal areas between Beauty Cave (美人洞) and Geban Bay (蛤板灣) while ensuring that the beauty of the island and the turtles are appreciated without human interference.
“The ‘skeleton’ of Siaoliouciou is coral reefs, which provide the ideal conditions for the seaweed and kelp the green sea turtles feed on,” he said. “Awareness of environmental issues leads to better conservation efforts,” he said.
In addition to providing guided tours, Lee also checks areas of the island green sea turtles visit twice a day, he said, starting and ending his day on stretches of beach where no one else can be seen.
“Home is where you find beauty,” Lee said.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS