Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) yesterday called for regulations on the extermination of invasive species, after images emerged on the Internet showing a man killing a green iguana by placing a firecracker in its mouth.
The images went viral after the Facebook group Baoliao Commune reposted them on Feb. 19, saying that the government’s bid to control the green iguana population by mobilizing local residents has resulted in animal abuse.
The Council of Agriculture’s lax regulations for pet imports is to blame for the nation’s invasive species problem, Lin told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan, which was also attended by members of the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The government should stop subsidizing citizens for killing or capturing invasive species, and instead devise a policy that utilizes animal control professionals acting under clear guidelines to safely and ethically handle animals, Lin said.
Reports that green iguanas were being consumed as game meat suggest that the unregulated hunting of the animals poses a threat to public health, she said, adding that wild animals could carry zoonotic diseases.
Society representatives said the council urgently needs to create regulations for removing invasive species.
The regulations must state that invasive species should not be abused, that removal should be conducted by qualified professionals, and that the animals should be put down without causing unnecessary pain or suffering, Lin said.
The carcasses of euthanized animals should be disposed of, and should not be used to produce meat or leather products, which could expose the public to diseases, she said.
Forestry Bureau Director of Conservation Lo Yu-chuan (羅尤娟) said the council’s volunteer iguana catchers utilize nets, and have been trained to humanely capture the animals.
A faculty member at the Pingtung University of Science Technology has been appointed to help the county government educate the public on the ethical treatment of animals, she said, adding that the council could also release its internal animal control guidelines for public use.
The council’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Animal Protection Director Cheng Chu-ching (鄭祝菁) said her department has opened investigations into the firecracker incident, and allegations that iguanas were being harvested for meat or hides.
Authorities in several counties have copied the online images as evidence, she said.
People who kill or harm a pet green iguana could face at least one year in prison under Article 25 of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), she added.
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
STAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said Taiwan
Taiwan is awaiting official notification from the US regarding the status of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) after the US Supreme Court ruled US President Donald Trump's global tariffs unconstitutional. Speaking to reporters before a legislative hearing today, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that Taiwan's negotiation team remains focused on ensuring that the bilateral trade deal remains intact despite the legal challenge to Trump's tariff policy. "The US has pledged to notify its trade partners once the subsequent administrative and legal processes are finalized, and that certainly includes Taiwan," Cho said when asked about opposition parties’ doubts that the ART was
If China chose to invade Taiwan tomorrow, it would only have to sever three undersea fiber-optic cable clusters to cause a data blackout, Jason Hsu (許毓仁), a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator, told a US security panel yesterday. In a Taiwan contingency, cable disruption would be one of the earliest preinvasion actions and the signal that escalation had begun, he said, adding that Taiwan’s current cable repair capabilities are insufficient. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) yesterday held a hearing on US-China Competition Under the Sea, with Hsu speaking on
RSS