The Legislative Yuan on Friday passed a conservation law aimed at improving the protection of marine ecosystems by designating areas to be protected and closing core zones to civilian maritime traffic.
Under the new marine conservation act, the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) is authorized to form an advisory committee composed of academics, conservationists, fishers and indigenous Taiwanese, with the latter two groups making up at least one-third of its members.
The committee’s role would be to plan and review the designation of marine conservation areas, which would have core and buffer zones, with each subject to distinct rules and regulations.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwanese Coral Reef Society
For a conservation area to be established, two-thirds of the committee members would have to vote in favor, and a majority of members must be present at the time of voting.
Core zones would be closed to civilian maritime traffic, and those caught entering the area and refusing to leave could be fined NT$50,000 to NT$500,000, the bill stipulates.
However, people who mistakenly enter a core zone and leave after a warning would not be fined. However, if they return to the area within two years, the penalty would apply.
Meanwhile, military vessels carrying out operations or patrols related to national security or defense would be able to enter the core zone, as would ships involved in search and rescue, scientific research and other activities.
Activities including aquaculture, the harvesting of marine organisms and construction of marine projects in buffer zones could be allowed with government approval, but those caught without permission to carry out such activities would be fined NT$30,000 to NT$300,000, the bill stipulates.
Activities that are essential for indigenous cultures or rituals would not be subjected to the restrictions in buffer zones, it added.
The act stipulates that the overall policy guidelines for the management of marine conservation areas would be formulated by the council in consultation with other relevant agencies, and then submitted to the Executive Yuan for approval.
The designation of marine conservation areas and related restrictions would take into account the interests of fishers, indigenous Taiwanese and others, OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said.
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