The Kenting National Park Administration Office has come under fire for not taking tougher action against vehicle rental businesses and tourists driving in restricted areas or chasing after Formosan Sika deer.
A man, identified only as A-jui (阿瑞), said they had provided the office with two videos they had filmed last month near Kenting beach.
In the video, all-terrain vehicles (ATV) were making a mess of the beach, A-jui said, adding that they had told the office which businesses owned the rental ATVs.
The office had simply “told the business off” instead of taking more serious action, A-jui said.
In another case, an anonymous person provided footage of ATV rental owners taking tourists on a ride to chase after Formosan Sika deer in the Shueiwajue Community (水蛙崛) in the Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) area .
Footage of the incident has even been posted on the Internet, a source said.
The office should investigate such infractions, as there are clear regulations stating that people must get off their vehicles and view Sika deer from a distance, the person said.
The office must protect its image as a natural park for the conservation of wildlife, the person said.
Office Deputy Director Hsu Ya-ju (許亞儒) said it was the park’s custom to give a warning to first-time offenders.
ATVs are only allowed on the beach during rescue operations and ATV rentals are not allowed, Hsu said, adding that there are strict regulations prohibiting businesses from renting ATVs near the area.
The office has investigated the area after receiving the complaint and found that no person had rented such vehicles to tourists, it said.
It has not found any contraventions in subsequent inspections, it added.
The office will look into the Shueiwajue Community case to see if there have been any contraventions of tour guide rules.
Any contraventions would be fined in accordance with the National Park Act (國家公園法), it said.
The park also urged tourists to use legal travel and tourism services, and not to take part in any illegal activites or risk being fined.
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