Environmental groups release a letter from a heavyweight marine conservation scientist, calling for cherishing Taiwan's Datan algal reefs
After submitting its 6th administrative appeal on the 8th demanding the revocation of the construction permit, the Rescue Datan Algal Reefs Action Alliance announced on the 10th a letter from Sylvia Earle, founder of the internationally renowned conservation organization Mission Blue, to President Tsai Ing-wen, questioning why the Presidential Office has still not responded and calling on it to grasp the hand of friendship extended to Taiwan by the international community, suspend the Guantang project as soon as possible, and designate the Datan algal reef a protected area, so the world can see that Taiwan is a "marine democracy" that cherishes marine ecology.
Internationally renowned marine conservation scholar Dr. Sylvia Earle, hailed as the "Jane Goodall of the ocean," wrote to Sorry, I can't respond to this question.
She also expressed concern about the industrial development, saying, "There are still many things about the Datan algal reef that people around the world have yet to understand and that are worth learning about. If the Datan algal reef is damaged by development, it would be a tremendous loss not only for Taiwan, but for the entire world." She therefore called on the government to preserve this precious and unique marine ecosystem, saying that the decisions made in this decade will affect the next 100,000 years, and urged people to "protect the Datan algal reef for the sake of the whole world, for the ocean, and for the health of the next generation."
Environmental groups released the contents of a March letter from internationally renowned marine conservation scholar Sylvia Earle to President Tsai Ing-wen, questioning why the Presidential Office had still not publicly responded as of May 9, and Sylvia Earle herself said she had not received a reply from Tsai Ing-wen. (Photo by reporter Chuang Hsiao-ping)
Environmental groups questioned why a leading marine conservation researcher had written to President Tsai Ing-wen and the Presidential Office had still not publicly responded two months later. Had it not received the letter? Or had it received it but chosen not to respond? When the Ocean Affairs Council was established in April, Executive Yuan Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai said in his remarks that it would strengthen the nation's marine research capacity, participate in international organizations and conferences, and expand Taiwan's marine policy and international connections, yet it was unwilling to face the algal reef issue that has already been recognized internationally, making it impossible to see any intention to expand Taiwan's marine policy and international connections.
Chen Chao-lun, a researcher at the Biodiversity Research Center of Academia Sinica who studies the Datan algal reef, said that after learning in February this year that the Datan algal reef had been listed as a marine conservation hope spot, he also launched an international petition through Mission Blue's assistance to save the Datan algal reef. More than 1,000 signatures have been collected so far, and discussion of the keyword on social media continues to spread. How Taiwan acts is being watched by the world. Chen Chao-lun therefore solemnly called on the Presidential Office to respond to Sylvia Earle's letter as soon as possible, stop construction of the Guantang industrial (port) zone, choose an alternative site, and include the Datan algal reef in a protected area as soon as possible.
Pan Chung-cheng, convener of the Alliance to Save the Datan Algal Reef, said he hoped Tsai Ing-wen would face up to the pledge she made in 2013 when she signed "algal reefs forever" at the Taoyuan algal reef, and that now was the moment to re-examine this development project and let the world see the Taiwan government's policy response to the conservation of the Datan algal reef.
