Legislators yesterday proposed increasing penalties for poaching to a maximum seven-year prison sentence and declaring waters off Green Island (綠島) a no-fishing zone to protect the islands’ marine environment after the illegal taking on Saturday of an endangered species.
A rare humphead wrasse — one of seven known off the coast of Green Island — was caught by a local bed-and-breakfast owner, sparking public outrage and calls for marine conservation.
Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) and Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津) called a news conference to announce they would propose draft amendments to the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), to increase the maximum punishment for poaching from a five-year prison sentence and NT$1 million (US$30,622) fine to a seven-year prison term and a NT$3 million fine.
They also asked the government to establish marine protected areas and conduct a census of endangered and protected species.
Chen said fish and corals are the most important resource of the tourism-dependent Green Island, but the island would lose visitors if illegal fishing and overfishing destroys its marine ecology.
Showing a photograph of himself with a humphead wrasse taken in Palau, Chen, who is an amateur diver, said Palau has a tourism dependent economy and the country attaches great importance to its marine conservation.
“Palau estimates that a single devil fish can generate about US$1 million in tourism, but Taiwanese fishermen sell the fish for NT$50 per 600g,” Yeh said.
“Taiwan does not have an ocean culture or a tourism culture. What we have is a seafood culture,” Yeh added.
While Taiwan’s neighbors have endeavored to preserve marine resources and build a tourism industry that can create US$400 per diver per day, Taiwan is still trying to attract Chinese tourists with seafood that can generate only US$70 per visitor per day, Yeh said.
Yeh said that she would call on the Tourism Bureau to make Green Island a no-fishing zone.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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