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.”
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over