Wildlife protection groups have urged authorities to patrol a coastal area in Changhua County after migrant workers were allegedly seen roasting and eating little tern chicks on Friday.
The little tern (Sterna albifrons), a white seabird with black plumage on its head, is a protected species. Officials said it is against the law to kill the birds and violators will be punished under the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
Authorities have reminded migrant workers and their employers not to consume cats or dogs and are now urging them to refrain from eating birds because they could be an endangered species under the protection of international conventions.
Wild Bird Society of Changhua secretary-general Lee Yi-hsin (李益鑫) said Friday’s incident has angered animal lovers.
Lee said little terns are migratory birds and they go to the area next to the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park (彰化濱海工業區) to breed and nurse their young.
Local residents had earlier reported that tourists were stealing eggs from birds’ nests in the area. Requests were made to the Changhua County Government and the Department of Agriculture to increase patrols in the area. Lee said catching and eating little terns is a violation of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) as well as the Wildlife Conservation Act.
The Workforce Development Agency has issued reminders to employers of migrant workers to educate employees about these laws. According to agency officials, most migrant workers are from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, where eating cats and dogs is not prohibited.
Some incidents have led to public anger, with migrant workers arrested for eating cats and dogs, in some cases allegedly stealing pets from homes. Earlier this month, a migrant worker in Tainan was apprehended by police for allegedly stealing a dog from its home in Jiali District (佳里). The dog was not found and police suspect it had been eaten by the man and his co-workers from a nearby factory.
The dog owner posted an online message, including surveillance footage, of his dog being dragged away.
“[Migrant workers killed] my pet dog, who I raised for seven years and is regarded as a member of my family,” the man wrote.
Under the animal protection act, anyone found to have caused the death of a dog, cat or other animal banned from slaughter is subject to a maximum jail term of one year, and a fine of between NT$100,000 and NT$1 million (US$3,207 and US$32,074).
In March, the Kaohsiung City Government revised its bylaw to include a maximum fine of NT$100,000 for employers whose migrant workers were found to have eaten cats or dogs.
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