Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) yesterday defended his proposal to transform Yilan County’s Turtle Island (Gueishan Island, 龜山島) into an international tourist destination.
The island off the northeast was designated a military restricted zone in 1977, when the government forced its residents to relocate to Taiwan proper. The government lifted the restriction in 2000 to develop it for tourism.
Chen on Monday last week drew criticism from environmentalists and politicians when he proposed building an international hotel on the island.
Photo courtesy of the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration
He said that the Tourism Bureau has listed Turtle Island, five fishing villages in Yilan’s Toucheng Township (頭城) and sand dunes in Jhuangwei Township (壯圍) as potential destinations for international tourists.
Of the three areas, Turtle Island has the most personality, he said, adding that whenonearth.net in 2015 selected it as one of the “12 cool naturally shaped islands around the world.”
“My idea is that the central government can outsource the development of Turtle Island and 101km coastline in Yilan to a contractor using the build-operate-transfer model, provided that the development not compromise the environment or ecosystem,” he said.
“The island is not only for Yilan residents to enjoy. I hope my proposal will help stimulate creativity and that the public can reach a consensus on this,” he added.
Chen said that he presented his proposal after extensive discussion with government officials and tourism experts from overseas, adding that media coverage gave the false impression that he was planning to build a large hotel resort on the island.
He said that his position has always been that the development should be done in an eco-friendly manner.
Yilan Mayor Chiang Tsung-yuan (江聰淵) of the DPP and Yilan County Commissioner Lin Zi-miao (林姿妙) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) last week said they opposed Chen’s proposal.
“Turtle Island should not be overdeveloped because it is a conservation area and a spiritual landmark for people,” Chiang said.
Lin also called the island a spiritual symbol for people in Yilan, adding that its most valuable asset is that it preserves biodiversity and pristine nature.
“The boat ride from Toucheng to Turtle Island takes only about 30 minutes, and there are already plenty of hotels and accommodations in Toucheng,” she said. “I do not support building another hotel on the island.”
The Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration said it has yet to evaluate the possibility of building a hotel on the island.
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