Customs officials last year seized more than 1,000 living corals illegally imported from the Philippines and Indonesia, the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) said yesterday.
Thirteen illegal imports involving 1,369 marine animals, mostly living corals and some sea anemones, were reported by the Customs Administration last year, the agency said, without specifying the respective number of the species.
Most of the illegally imported corals were of the Goniopora, Lobophyllia and Euphyllia species, mainly transported from the Philippines, with a few coming from Indonesia, OCA Deputy Director-General Wu Long-jing (吳龍靜) said.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Conservation Administration
Some of the people who were caught transporting the corals said that they bought them at stores in the Philippines, OCA Marine Conservation Division senior specialist Ko Yung-chuan (柯勇全) said.
There is a market for imported corals in Taiwan, as many people are fond of raising them, he said, urging people to check with the OCA before transporting marine animals from abroad.
Those caught importing ordinary wildlife without required documentation face a fine of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 (US$333 to US$1,666), according to the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), the agency said.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Conservation Administration
People who smuggle protected animals or their products face a jail term of six months to five years, or a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million, it said.
People caught transporting endangered species listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) could face a fine of up to NT$3 million according to the Foreign Trade Act (貿易法), it added.
When they seize imported marine animals, customs officials inform the Council of Agriculture if the animals are listed in the CITES, and they inform the OCA if the animals are protected species, Ko said.
The animals might be released or sent to other institutions for conservation and research, depending on a professional evaluation, Ko added.
Corals in many areas are considered endangered due to the effects of climate change, while their improper collection also poses a threat to their ecosystems, as they are home to many animals, Academia Sinica Biodiversity Research Center research fellow Allen Chen (陳昭倫) said.
When conducting research in the seas near Taiwan, as well as the South China Sea, he only transports dead coral samples and has to obtain collection certificate from local agencies, as well as export and import certificates from the country of origin and Taiwan, Chen said.
Coral ecosystems are connected to their surroundings, and China’s construction of artificial islands on reefs in the South China Sea endangers not only local corals, but also other ecosystems in waters near Taiwan and Japan, he said.
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