Jiangjun Salt Pans Plunge into Solar Development Crisis, Internationally Endangered Migratory Birds May Lose Habitat, Taiwan-Loving Foreign Son-in-Law Appeals: Destroy the 101 of Ecology, and Taiwan Will Regret It
An important ecological hotspot, the Jiangjun Salt Pans in Tainan, is mired in a solar power crisis! The globally endangered Nordmann's Greenshank and the Spoon-billed Sandpiper fly thousands of kilometers from Siberia to arrive in Taiwan every year. They are exhausted and hungry, but fortunately the Jiangjun salt flats in Tainan provide them with abundant food. The following spring, each one flies back north to breed with lush, glossy plumage.
The precious Jiangjun Salt Pans have now been eyed by solar power developers. Richard, a foreign son-in-law who has long been dedicated to Taiwan's ecology, pleads on behalf of the migratory birds, hoping the government will leave a dinner plate for them. He likens it thus: "The Jiangjun Salt Pans are like the 101 Building of the migratory bird world, an indicator of Taiwan's ecology," and destroying it will surely bring regret.
The developer, Weineng Company, admits it does have development plans, proposing a solar power development plan with the goal of "environmental symbiosis and ecological balance." Environmental groups state that the Jiangjun Salt Pans are extremely ecologically sensitive and hope Weineng Company will voluntarily withdraw the proposal.
Richard: The Jiangjun Salt Pans are comparable to the 101 of ecology; destroy this ecological indicator, and Taiwan will regret it
This salt pan is located below the Jiangjun Interchange of Provincial Highway 61, covering nearly 200 hectares, adjacent to the well-known scenic spots of Qingkunshen and Mashagou. Due to long-term disuse, the salt pan has naturally been restored as a man-made wetland, but now there are reports of a crisis as a solar power company wants to move in for development.
Richard Foster is a Taiwan son-in-law who has been in Taiwan for over ten years. As a lover of wild ecology, he became a birdwatching guide, specializing in bringing Europeans and Americans to Taiwan to experience the beauty of Taiwan's ecology. Two years ago, he photographed excavators invading the Budai Salt Pans, exposing the wetland battle between solar power and migratory birds, which caused a public uproar at the time. Now, learning again that an important habitat faces a development crisis, he feels very frustrated and depressed about solar power repeatedly invading the migratory birds' dinner plates, and does not know how to continue defending Taiwan's ecology.
Richard said emotionally: "Every year, migratory birds from Alaska and Siberia fly thousands of kilometers to Taiwan. When they first arrive, they are skinny, hungry, and dirty, and very afraid and easily startled in the unfamiliar environment. After recuperating in the wetlands over winter, they grow lush, glossy plumage, and only then have the strength to fly back north for the next breeding season."
Richard believes that if the salt pans are developed with solar panels installed, these migratory birds will not come near and will not perch under the solar panels. "The coast is covered with wave-dissipating blocks, and shallow-water wetland fish ponds are being developed with more and more solar panels. The migratory birds' dinner plates are shrinking, and if they cannot find enough food, they will starve to death during their flight."
"Here there are the internationally endangered Nordmann's Greenshank and Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Their importance is irreplaceable, like the 101 Building, a landmark of Taiwan's ecological image. I cannot imagine Taiwan destroying such an important place." Richard receives dozens of ecological tour groups to Taiwan every year, specifically requesting to visit the Jiangjun Salt Pans just to catch a glimpse of the Nordmann's Greenshank and Spoon-billed Sandpiper. He cannot believe that in the future he might have to bring people to see solar panels.
Solar Power Profits Go to Conglomerates, Aging Rural Villages Hope to Keep Ecology, Give Rural Villages a Way Out
Also angry is Chen Bojing, the village chief of Dingshan Village in Qigu, adjacent to the development site. He said that Dingshan historically made its living from salt drying. After Taiwan Salt Works transformed, the salt pans were abandoned, directly leading to Dingshan's decline. Now the salt pans are continuously being released to solar power developers, which he finds hard to stomach: "The salt pans used to be our ancestors' salt-drying fields. During the Japanese era they were forcibly expropriated, and when the Nationalist government came they became Taiwan Salt Works'. Now they want to let conglomerates build solar panels, and they never asked us how we feel?"
Village Chief Chen said with a bitter smile, "Of course solar power is profitable, but it's all taken by conglomerates and city people, none of it has to do with us. For an aging rural area like ours, the way out is like Gaomei Wetland: take good care of the ecology, and on holidays people will still come to stroll around, balancing both economy and environment." Dingshan is surrounded by black-faced spoonbill hotspots, with a specially built "little wooden hut" for birdwatching. Every holiday, it attracts many parents and children to Dingshan to chase the black-faced spoonbills.
Seeing that to the south, 200 hectares of Taiwan Sugar Corporation's afforestation land in Qigu was cut down by Chung Hsing Electric, and that there is already a Taipower solar project in the northeast corner of the village, he put on a bitter expression and said: "If the land is kept, agriculture and fisheries still have hope, and industries may return. If all the land is taken for solar power, it will directly cause an industrial gap. Young people who want to return to raise fish cannot find land. How will farming and fishing villages be revitalized in the future?" Village Chief Chen keeps saying he will bring people to protest, but looking at the village full of elderly people, he can only express helplessness.
Bird Society: The Wintering Habitat of Endangered Migratory Birds, If Covered with Solar Panels, Will Severely Damage Taiwan's Ecological Image
"The conservation status of the black-faced spoonbill is Endangered (EN). The black-faced spoonbill has received attention, and its numbers have increased year by year to 4,000 to 5,000. The Nordmann's Greenshank and Spoon-billed Sandpiper are in even more danger than the black-faced spoonbill. Their wintering habitat is right in the Jiangjun Salt Pans. If this important habitat is covered with solar panels, it will be a great harm to Taiwan's international image." Pan Zhiyuan, chairman of the Tainan Bird Society, explained the severity of developing solar power at the Jiangjun Salt Pans.
Pan Zhiyuan explained, "The Nordmann's Greenshank, also classified as Endangered (EN), has a global population of only 600 to 1,300, and is rapidly declining. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is even a globally Critically Endangered (CR) bird species, with an estimated global population of only 240-456, close to extinction." These two delicate guests breed in Siberia in summer and migrate south in winter to the coastal wetlands of Taiwan and Southeast Asia to winter. The Jiangjun Salt Pans are one of the very few stable wintering sites.
"If it were not for the development crisis, the bird society would actually not want to expose the precious habitat. We would rather let this wetland continue to remain quiet and low-key, to avoid disturbing the migratory birds." Pan Zhiyuan said with difficulty hiding his disappointment.
Weineng Company: There Is Indeed a Development Plan, Never Ignored Environmental Symbiosis and Ecological Balance
Reporters sought verification from Weineng Company, and the other party is indeed planning solar power development at the Jiangjun Salt Pans. The company replied in a letter explaining, "At present, a professional team has been commissioned for long-term monitoring, and discussions are being held with Professor Weng Yicong of Kun Shan University for planning. Based on ecological surveys and environmental factors shown in inspections, a response plan is proposed. This includes establishing ecological reserve zones to achieve functional maintenance that meets the local ecological species and habitat environment."
Weineng emphasized that in the process of developing green energy, the company has never ignored environmental symbiosis and ecological balance. The company's global experience not only takes respect for local residents and ecological conservation as its philosophy, but also balances the three dimensions of environment, society, and economy, assisting in promoting Taiwan's green energy policy goals.
Weineng's solar power development in the Budai Wetland in Chiayi once sparked ecological controversy. Later, it reached an agreement with ecological groups by proposing conservation plans and designating protected areas. Weineng seems intent on replicating the successful Budai experience to persuade opponents. Weineng stated that it has recently planned to hold a symposium in Jiangjun District, Tainan, to explain this case's planning, and looks forward to deeper exchanges to collect opinions from all sides and reach a consensus.
Environmental Groups: Absolutely Cannot Sit By and Watch the Jiangjun Salt Pans Be Developed, Hope Weineng Voluntarily Withdraws the Proposal and Avoids Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Tsai Hui-hsun, director of the Citizens' Earth Foundation, pointed out that in 2017, when solar power development occurred in an ecological hotspot at the Budai Salt Pans in Chiayi, after multiple communications among the public, the developer, and the government, the developer was willing to retreat from the development scope and instead adopt measures such as "establishing reserve zones," "regular monitoring," and proposing "ecological compensation." At the time, she thought Weineng Company's respect for ecology and willingness to compromise was commendable.
"However, at that time the public strongly suggested that solar power development must avoid ecological hotspots. Later, the Council of Agriculture commissioned the Endemic Species Research Institute to inventory ecological hotspots along the southwest coast. Therefore, after inventory, the Jiangjun Salt Pans are classified as 'unsuitable for development, ecological conservation priority.' Weineng should not think it can follow the Budai model." Tsai Hui-hsun stated.
For environmental groups, at the time of the Budai solar power controversy, ecological hotspots had not been inventoried, and considering that the company had already launched its plan, they had no choice but to settle for the next best thing, adopting an approach beneficial to ecology, solar power, and the community alike. "However, the Jiangjun Salt Pans are more ecologically sensitive and fragile, with important conservation species such as the Nordmann's Greenshank and Spoon-billed Sandpiper." Tsai Hui-hsun stated firmly, "If the developer insists on development, environmental groups will absolutely not agree."
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