The Hualien branch of Taiwan International Ports Corp is offering a 30 percent discount on transport fees for families requesting sea burials this year.
The company began offering the service in 2017, due to an increase in demand for natural burials, where the bodies of the deceased are cremated before their families bury the ashes near trees or plants, or scatter them in the ocean, Port of Hualien harbor master Lee Shun-yi (李順益) said.
The Hualien office is the only branch that transports ashes for sea burials, Lee said, adding that it has handled six so far.
To encourage more people to use the service, Lee said that the transport fee for sea burials would be reduced from NT$15,750 to NT$11,000, adding that further discounts would also be available for low-income families.
If families wish to remember the deceased on Tomb Sweeping Day and observe anniversaries, the transport cost would be lowered from NT$14,000 to NT$9,800 for the first time, he said.
For second or third-time remembrance services, the cost would be dropped to NT$8,800 and NT$7,700 respectively, Lee said, adding that the special offer ends on Dec. 31.
Families requesting sea burials must file an application for transport services at least 15 days before the date of departure, which could be subject to adjustments due to weather conditions, the company said.
However, prior to setting a date for a sea burial, families must secure a permit from the Hualien County Government, the company said.
The company said that it would only handle the transportation part of the sea burial and would not interfere with how families remember the deceased.
Under the county government’s regulations, ashes must be scattered in waters at least 6km from the port’s breakwaters, the company said.
The ship dispatched for the sea burial would be equipped with a GPS system to record where the ashes were scattered in case the family later wants to hold a memorial service at the location, it said.
In other news, the first dock dedicated to the development of offshore wind power at the Port of Taichung is soon to begin operating after renovations are complete, the company said.
Dock No. 2 is one of the five docks in the port that is to be used to produce, store, assemble and transport the machinery needed for offshore wind power.
Docks are being renovated and built as part of the government’s plan to build offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 5.5 gigawatts by 2025.
Dock No. 2 would be able to bear a weight of 10 tonnes per square meter, and would be used for wind turbine assembly.
The company reinforced the sea floor at its mooring berths so that anchor turbine installation vessels can dock.
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