Work on a heart-shaped stone structure on Beigang Island in Matsu has been halted after residents raised environmental concerns.
The structure is meant to promote “blue tears” — also known as the blue tide — luminescence visible at night in the sea that occurs from April to August.
Scientists disagree over whether it is glowing ostracods or flagellates that cause the blue light.
Photo courtesy of the Lienchiang County Government
The blue tide attracts tourists to the Lienchiang County islands, prompting the county government to make “Blue Tear” tourism an important agenda to boost the archipelago’s economy.
Beigang Township (北竿) Mayor Chen Ju-lan (陳如嵐) said the stone pile his office is building on the beach by Houao Village (后澳) was inspired by a similar structure on Penghu’s Cimei Island, a double-heart-shaped pile made to trap fish and crabs, which has become a tourist attraction.
However, Houao resident Chen Tzu-kai (陳紫開), a teacher at Jhongshan High School, said on Facebook that the half-finished structure could become a garbage trap, with debris from China washed into the seas by typhoons collecting in it, while it might not be sturdy enough to withstand the high waves common in winter.
Over the past week, Chen Tzu-kai’s post has attracted the attention of locals and netizens, with news channels running reports critical of the structure.
Residents said that pollution has affected the sea near Houao that was once rich with crabs and other shellfish, and they fear construction in the area would irrevocably damage the environment.
Chen Ju-lan said the township had made plans to remove the stone pile if it was unsuccessful for any reason, and the stones would be recycled to build embankments for local roads with a minimum of waste to public coffers.
Houao has a tradition of building stone piles for fishing and the township office on Dec. 29 last year held a public hearing regarding its plans, he said, adding that residents who participated in the hearing largely supported the plan.
The structure is unlikely to create any pollution, because it is made of natural stones, he said, adding that the township office is to be responsible for its maintenance.
The opposition of some Beigang residents to the project was the result of a “communication failure” on the part of the township office and more public hearings are to be held to clarify the issue, he said.
The 30m structure is to cost the township an estimated NT$1 million (US$31,368), Chen Ju-lan said.
Beigang Township Council Chairman Chiu Pao-te (邱德寶) called on the township office to re-evaluate the the project, saying: “We should not cause any negative effects to the environment or damage the island’s public image.”
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
RSS