Opening the Dongsha Atoll National Park for tourism requires further deliberation due to national security and ecological concerns, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Lee Chung-wei (李仲威) said yesterday, adding that the council continues to defend the nation’s sovereignty in the South China Sea.
The Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), which are about 450km from Kaohsiung, are administered as a national park. The main island is only populated by coast guard and military personnel, as well as some scientific researchers.
The Ministry of the Interior plans to open the park for tourism from next month or May, starting with one-day tours brought by charter flights, Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said in January.
Photo courtesy of National Sun Yat-sen University
The council later that month said it would cooperate with the plan, but Lee yesterday appeared more reserved when answering questions from People First Party Legislator Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔) at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee.
The plan is still being evaluated, while more deliberations about ecological protection and national security are needed, Lee said.
Asked if Taiwan might join a South China Sea code of conduct being negotiated by China and ASEAN members, Lee said that the council has expressed its intention to participate in the talks, but has met many obstacles.
It is unfair that the nation is excluded from the negotiations, given that it is one of the territorial claimants, he said.
Any disputes in the sea should be resolved through international law, while the council would cultivate more ocean-related legal experts and continue to express its stance to involved nations through foreign affairs channels, he said.
The council in June is to hold an international conference to reiterate the nation’s sovereignty and announce ecological conservation results, Lee added.
Asked about the tourism plan, Academia Sinica biodiversity researcher Jeng Ming-shiou (鄭明修) was concerned about the potential environmental impact.
While a flight from Kaohsiung to the atoll only takes about 80 minutes, one-day tours would be less realistic, as biking around the main island only takes 30 minutes, said Jeng, who has visited the islands to conduct research 51 times since 1994.
Construction of resorts and tourist service facilities might be needed in case tourists stay overnight due to tiredness or bad weather, and more ships would be needed to replenish daily supplies and bring garbage back to Taiwan proper, Jeng said.
The ministry would prioritize one-day ecological tours, which are still being discussed without a definite timetable, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) said separately, adding that hotels are not included in the plan.
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