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.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
EVA Airways president Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) and other senior executives yesterday bowed in apology over the death of a flight attendant, saying the company has begun improving its health-reporting, review and work coordination mechanisms. “We promise to handle this matter with the utmost responsibility to ensure safer and healthier working conditions for all EVA Air employees,” Sun said. The flight attendant, a woman surnamed Sun (孫), died on Friday last week of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy, the airline said. Chinese-language media reported that the woman fell ill working on a Taipei-to-Milan flight on Sept. 22
1.4nm WAFERS: While TSMC is gearing up to expand its overseas production, it would also continue to invest in Taiwan, company chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has applied for permission to construct a new plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區), which it would use for the production of new high-speed wafers, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council, which supervises three major science parks in Taiwan, confirmed that the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau had received an application on Friday from TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, to commence work on the new A14 fab. A14 technology, a 1.4 nanometer (nm) process, is designed to drive artificial intelligence transformation by enabling faster computing and greater power
RSS