The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) yesterday welcomed a decision by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to increase protections for whale sharks, saying that Taiwan already designated whale sharks as protected species in 2020 and has helped them recover.
The 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5.
More than 3,400 attended the meeting, including about 1,000 government officials representing 163 countries, 209 organizations and more than 100 media outlets.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Conservation Administration
Discussions at the meeting covered sea cucumbers, cartilaginous fish including whale sharks and whitetip sharks, marine ornamental fish such as clownfish and angelfish, and others, the OCA said.
There was a consensus at the meeting that further action is needed to protect cartilaginous fish, including stricter trade controls, as countries worldwide are concerned about these species, it said.
Attendees unanimously agreed to upgrade the whale shark from CITES Appendix II, covering species whose trade must be regulated, to Appendix I, which prohibits international trade in the species except under exceptional circumstances.
Taiwan designated whale sharks and giant manta rays as protected marine species on April 28, 2020, demonstrating that the nation’s conservation efforts are ahead of international trends, the OCA said.
According to the Act on Wildlife Conservation (野生動物保育法), those who harass, abuse, hunt or kill protected species are subject to six months to five years of imprisonment and fines ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$9,560 to US$47,801).
Whale sharks are often caught as bycatch, as their habitats overlap with common fishing areas.
The OCA said it set up an online platform to report bycatch incidents, and as of last month has worked with 27 fisheries to release 362 whale sharks and two manta rays, highlighting Taiwan’s conservation achievements.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS