The Council of Agriculture (COA) has set up a new division responsible for regulating the pet industry, pet ownership and pet welfare, the council said yesterday.
Council Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) told a news conference in Taipei that about 2.5 million dogs and cats are kept as pets in Taiwan, and that the annual output value of the pet industry had grown to more than NT$500 million (US$17.42 million).
“At the current 10 percent annual growth rate, that means there could be 12 million pet dogs and cats in the country by 2040,” Chen said, adding that pets deserve welfare protection “just as people do.”
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The council said in a news release that the pet management division had been set up ahead of planned amendments to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), as it is seeking to bolster government oversight of the pet industry and pet welfare.
The council had drafted a “white list” of animal species and breeds that can be kept as pets, based on the standards of animal welfare, risks posed by potentially invasive species, and human and animal safety, it said.
The section would initially have six employees at the council headquarters and about 100 staffers in local government offices, the council said.
It would have an annual budget of NT$150 million, it added.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the event that the planned legal amendments would focus on “traceability,” mandating that pets be registered at birth and each time they change owners throughout their lives.
The establishment of the section follows criticism from animal protection groups — especially those dealing with abandoned pets and stray animals — that the council was not doing enough to crack down on irresponsible pet owners and breeders.
Chen last month said that the new section would initially focus on dogs and cats, but would later expand to include other animals commonly kept as pets, including birds and reptiles.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious