WILDLIFE
Miaoli reiterates dog ban
The Miaoli County Government on Friday reiterated that hunting dogs are banned from areas known to be the habitat of Taiwan’s only surviving wild feline — the leopard cat. The Miaoli Agriculture Department said that signs have been put up since the ban was first imposed on March 25 in areas south of County Highway No. 140. It is likely that people have been training dogs in the area, as some that have been seen in the area wore tracking collars, the department said. Patrols in the area have been increased to help protect the indigenous species, the department said. People caught breaching the ban face fines of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 in accordance with provisions of the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), it said. Other efforts to protect the leopard cats include speed warning signs, fences and speed cameras along the county highway after seven leopard cats were reported killed on the road last year, the department added.
EDUCATION
Universities’ impacts ranked
Twenty-four Taiwanese universities are in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which measures the social and economic influence among institutions. Tainan-based National Cheng Kung University ranked highest in Taiwan at No. 38, followed by National Changhua University of Education (No. 66), in the “2020 impact rankings” released on Wednesday by the London-based magazine. The rankings are based on the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals. National Taiwan University and Taichung-based Tunghai University were in the 101-200 bracket. Fu Jen Catholic University, Asia University, China Medical University, Kaohsiung Medical University, National Dong Hwa University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tzu Chi University and Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, ranked 201-300. Another eight Taiwanese universities ranked 301-400, three were in the 401-600 bracket and one was at 601-plus in the rankings, which have 766 universities from 85 countries.
ASTRONOMY
Sunsets, streets to align
Sunsets will align with two streets in Taipei this month and early next month, the Central Weather Bureau said, but added that weather forecasts indicate cloudy to sunny skies for the first alignment. The alignment will be from Wednesday to May 1 on Zhongxiao E and W roads west of the Xinsheng Expressway from 5:58pm to 6:18pm on the first day, with each subsequent day’s sunset to be three minutes earlier. From May 2 to 4 the sunset will align with Emei Street west of Xining S Road from 5:59pm to 6:19pm on the first day, with subsequent days three and six minutes earlier.
FISHERIES
First tuna sets record
A bluefin tuna was auctioned in Yilan County yesterday for NT$2 million (US$66,489), a record for the first fish of the season. The Suao Township (蘇澳)-registered No. 168 Chuan Chang Lung on Thursday brought the 200kg tuna into Nanfangao Port (南方澳港), the Suao Fishermen’s Association said. To qualify as the first bluefin catch of the season, it must weigh at least 180kg and the boat that caught it must be legally registered in Taiwan and be the first to return to port. The tuna was auctioned at the Nanfangao Seafood Market, with the winner identified as businessman Cheng Chin-chih (鄭金池). Bidding started at NT$7,000 per kilogram before closing at NT$10,000, association head Tsai Yuan-lung (蔡源龍) said.
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
DEMAND: The government should enact regulations in line with Austria and Germany to incorporate vegan nutrition into school meals, an advocate said More than 1,000 people yesterday marched in Taipei to promote veganism, calling for legislation to incorporate vegan diets into school lunches and the national net zero emissions program. Participants gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building for the march, which was organized by the Vegan Action Network (VAN). Former ambassador to Chad Chiu Chung-jen (邱仲仁), actor Yankee Yang (楊子儀) and actress Cindy Lien (連俞涵) attended the event. VAN member Marianne Chao (趙梅君) said that the campaign aimed to urge the government to promote vegan diets across schools and government agencies via legislation and national policies, which would help build
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