When tens of thousands of tourists crowded into Fulung Beach (
The third annual Ho-Hi-Yan Taipei Rock Festival (
At the entrance to the beach, however, antinuclear activists of the Yenliao AntiNuclear Self-Help Association (
PHOTO: LAI WEI-CHIEH
"Most tourists don't know that a nuclear power plant is under construction nearby, not to mention the negative impact the construction is having," Wu Wen-tung (吳文通), spokesman of the association, told the Taipei Times yesterday.
According to Wu, evidence collected by the activists showed that the construction of a wharf -- where heavy machinery is transferred to the plant -- had caused erosion along the beach.
Activists asked the plant's builder and future operator, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電), several times to take responsibility for the erosion along the beach but received no response, Wu said.
"After being told about the negative impact made by the construction of the plant, most tourists answering the questionnaire agreed to abandon nuclear energy and embrace alternative sources of energy, such as solar energy and wind power, to save this wonderland for them to enjoy during the summer," Wu said.
According to recent statistics from the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area Administration, annually about 8 million tourists visit Fulung Beach, whose 3km long "Golden Beach" has been famous for decades.
"If the beach dies, Kungliao township will become a declining town with no future," Wu said.
To seize the chance to warn the public of the fragility of the environment, local antinuclear activists demonstrated solar panels and windmills used for generating power at the stand.
Wu said that eco-tourism will be the only way out for Kungliao residents because fishing -- which has been the mainstay for generations -- would decline if the plant starts operating.
According to the Kungliao District Fishermen's Association (貢寮區漁會), fishing grounds near Santiao Bay (三貂灣) -- where warm waste water from the plant will be discharged -- has been listed by the government as Kungliao Fishery Resource Reserve since 1978, to ensure the production of Taiwanese abalone (九孔), lobster, and other seafood.
Kungliao fishermen now worry that Taiwanese abalone won't be able to survive once water temperatures increase through the discharge of warm waste water from the plant.
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