Regulations on feeding stray animals should not be written into law yet, as animal welfare groups have not reached a consensus on the matter, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said yesterday, after the Executive Yuan’s proposed amendment was criticized for omitting such regulations.
The minister made the comments to reporters before the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee met to review proposed amendments to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
Animal protection groups and other parties have different views on feeding animals, Chen said, adding that the amendment first addresses articles on which there is consensus.
Photo: CNA
Animal feeding in nature reserves and protected areas is already prohibited under the Forestry Act (森林法) and the Act on Wildlife Conservation (野生動物保育法), Chen said.
While the Ministry of Agriculture has requested staff working on ecological programs to raise awareness about not feeding stray animals, it would be premature to write a feeding ban into law before a broader consensus is reached, he added.
Regarding the ministry’s app launched last week to crowd-source sightings of stray dogs, Chen said its main purpose is to provide scientific evidence and apply data to reduce the risk of human-dog conflicts, not prohibit feeding.
The ministry said it plans to use data collected over a year to create a risk map, highlighting areas with a higher risk of conflict.
Animal protection groups protested outside the legislature as lawmakers deliberated the amendments.
Banning feeding strays is inhumane and would forfeit social goodwill, the Taiwan One Ecology Coalition said.
Managing stray animals relies heavily on volunteers, and if the law treats feeders as owners, they could be liable if a stray animal causes a conflict, which could drive them away, the group said.
Stopping feeding strays could increase conflict with humans and public safety risks, it said, suggesting proper management over outright bans.
Meanwhile, wildlife advocacy groups said that volunteers tend to feed strays when there are no issues, but shirk responsibility when conflict arises.
The number of strays has increased following the imposition of a no-kill policy in 2017, resulting in increased conflicts, traffic accidents, crop damage and danger to wildlife, they said.
Continuing to feed strays “simply shifts the risk onto society,” they added.
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