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.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS