The Executive Yuan yesterday approved an ocean conservation bill that would empower regulators to designate maritime sanctuaries and establish sustainable use rules, the Ocean Affairs Council said.
The draft legislation is to go to the legislature for deliberation.
The bill says that regulatory authorities would be authorized to create maritime sanctuaries consisting of core, buffer and sustainable-use zones, subject to various levels of protection.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
The core zone of a maritime sanctuary — the highest level of protection possible — would be closed to all maritime activity other than speedy passage or for activities deemed necessary to national security or science.
Aquafarming, construction, laying sea cables, mining and other economic activities in buffer zones and sustainable use zones may be permitted with central and local regulatory approval.
The central government may designate a maritime sanctuary with the approval of an evaluation committee consisting of officials, experts and representatives of civil associations, while no more than half of the committee’s members can be government officials, the bill says.
Entering a core zone without permission would carry a fine of up to NT$500,000 (US$15,911), entering a buffer zone without permission would carry a penalty of up to NT$300,000 and entering a sustainable-use zone without permission would carry a fine of NT$15,000.
The bill is expected to pass the Legislative Yuan, as the council conducted extensive consultations with experts, environmental groups and government agencies to inform its writing, council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) told a post-Cabinet meeting news conference.
The legislation, if passed, would give regulators a mandate to designate sanctuaries, restrict maritime activities, conduct scientific research and set ocean conservation policies, in addition to boosting protections for whistle-blowers and the public’s right to sue polluters, Kuan said.
Also yesterday, the Executive Yuan approved amendments to the Distant Waters Fisheries Act (遠洋漁業條例) in a bid to stop imports of catches and seafood products from illegal, underreported and underregulated (IUU) fishing.
The proposed changes would empower regulators to impose a partial or total ban on seafood imports from nations or regions that engage in IUU fishing, Ministry of Agriculture officials told the news conference.
Importers that contravene the ban would face a fine of NT$6 million to NT$30 million, which is the same as the penalty for domestic IUU fishers, the officials said.
Taiwan is committed to fighting IUU fishing and upholding sustainable use of the sea in partnership with the international community, they said, adding that the amendments would help law-abiding fishers and importers.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS