Monkey-proof netting for honey peaches proves effective; farmers reap their harvest smoothly

Moving through the honey peach orchard as the fruit gradually turns red, Zhou Meihua carefully reminds picking tourists to duck around the branches. Honey peaches are so fragile that one shake could send 100 yuan flying, but compared with human damage, unreasonable monkeys are an even bigger headache. Every year half the harvest ends up in their bellies, yet this year her brow has relaxed a little. The secret weapon is the white gowns draped one by one over the orchard - monkey-proof netting developed by the Taitung Improvement Station. "This year, not a single honey peach covered by the monkey-proof netting was eaten!"

Dressing fruit trees yields tens of thousands of yuan in returns

In recent years Taroko National Park has actively guided local agriculture toward organic conversion, but monkey-proof netting is not something everyone can afford. Where does the funding for materials subsidies come from? Who is responsible for prevention and control?

Government regulations, however, are duplicated. The Wildlife Conservation Act, administered by the Forestry Bureau, stipulates that even protected species, as long as they harm crops, may be humanely hunted or killed in emergency situations, but the National Park Act, administered by the Construction and Planning Agency, stipulates that animals may not be hunted within park boundaries. Both are special laws, yet no order of priority has been established.

Lin Guozhang, section chief of wildlife conservation at the Forestry Bureau, said that cases of Taiwan macaques harming crops have been reported everywhere. The Forestry Bureau previously distributed monkey-proof material subsidies through local governments and sent an official letter to the Construction and Planning Agency, hoping the National Park Management Division would clarify the applicable legal provisions as soon as possible, but has still received no response. If the Construction and Planning Agency believes the National Park Act applies, it should take responsibility for preventing and controlling monkey damage; if the final decision is the Wildlife Conservation Act, the Forestry Bureau will also send personnel to assist, but the Construction and Planning Agency must give a clear answer.

Liu Peidong, director of the National Park Division at the Construction and Planning Agency, said there is indeed currently a conflict with the Wildlife Conservation Act. In the early days, national parks focused on conservation and did not consider the needs of mountain residents. Recently, precisely because of monkey damage, the regulations are being re-examined, but discussion is still ongoing and a conclusion may be reached next week. At present no specific response can be given, and farmers can only be asked to use deterrence methods as much as possible.

(This article was funded by the Jianzhen Environmental Education Foundation for personnel expenses, but the foundation does not interfere at all with news topic selection or interview writing, ensuring journalistic independence.)