Taiwan, China White Dolphin Conservation International Forum Focuses on Offshore Wind Turbine Acoustics

The Taiwanese white dolphin, which has long inhabited the "eastern coast of the Taiwan Strait," already faces multiple threats to its survival, such as pollution, non-friendly fishing methods, habitat loss and ecological destruction. Domestic conservation groups and international experts are therefore concerned about whether the construction and operation of "offshore wind turbines" in an upcoming development project will create an additional "noise" threat, and they believe it is indeed necessary to clarify the specific disputes involved, so as to avoid a situation in which "ecological conservation" and "sustainable energy" development hold each other in check.

The "Taiwan Matsu Fish Conservation Union" will convene domestic and international scholars and experts on April 18 this year for the "Offshore Wind Turbines, Acoustics, and Taiwanese White Dolphin Conservation International Forum," and it is expected that the forum and its related meetings will achieve the following goals:

1. Through international experts, put forward "policy recommendations" on the current state of our country's "white dolphin conservation" and "offshore wind turbine development"
2. Gather the views of experts from various countries and hold dialogues with people in Taiwan who care about "white dolphin conservation" and "green energy development" on this basis, write a professional "conclusion report" sharing other countries' experience and objective scientific viewpoints regarding the possible impacts of "offshore wind turbines" on the "critically endangered Taiwanese white dolphin"
3. Through a public forum, invite relevant administrative agencies, international experts, domestic scholars, conservation groups, consulting firms and developers to participate together, facilitating dialogue and exchange among all parties and building consensus;
4. Finally, based on the conclusion report of this event, the participating experts will publish SCI papers at international conferences or in journals, raising the international visibility of Taiwan's white dolphin conservation and promoting environmental diplomacy.

[Forum topics]include:

1. Conservation and Biology of the Critically Endangered Taiwanese White Dolphin
2. Impacts of human activities on marine mammals
3. Impacts of offshore wind farm on marine mammals
4. Understanding and mitigating noise impacts on marine mammals

[Forum time]April 18, 106th year of the Republic of China (2017), 09:00-18:00
[Forum venue]National Taiwan Normal University, School of Continuing Education (Library College), First Floor Lecture Hall

Transportation: MRT
Take the Zhonghe-Xinlu Line [Orange Line] or the Songshan-Xindian Line [Green Line] and get off at "Guting Station" from Exit 5, walk straight toward Heping East Road for about eight minutes to arrive.
Take the Songshan-Xindian Line [Green Line] and get off at "Taiwan Power Building Station" from Exit 4, walk straight toward Shida Road for about eight minutes to arrive.
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Participating foreign scholars include:

(1) Cetacean biology, white dolphin abundance, distribution and behavior

1 Claryana Araújo — Researcher, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil
Researcher, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil
2 Lauren Dares — Department of Environmental and Life Sciences at Trent University, Trent University, Peterborough
Doctoral researcher, Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Peterborough Campus, Trent University, Canada
3 Alex Huang/Xiang-Lin Huang — Associate Professor, College of Science, Shantou University
4 Peter Ross — Director, Ocean Pollution Research Program, Vancouver Aquarium
Director, Ocean Pollution Research Program, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Canada
5 John Wang — Chief Scientist, CetAsia Research Group
Adjunct Faculty, Biology Department, Trent University, Canada
Chief Scientist, CetAsia Research Group
Professor, Department of Biology, Trent University, Canada
6 Sarah Z. Dungan — Ph. D. candidate, University of Toronto
Ph.D. candidate, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto

(2) Acoustics, noise impacts on cetaceans, foreign wind turbine experience, data research, policy

1 Kathy Heise — Research Scientist – Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
Research Scientist, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Canada
2 Christine Erbe — Director, Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University
Director, Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Australia
3 Jordan Hoffman — Department of Environmental and Life Sciences at Trent University, Trent University, Peterborough
Doctoral researcher, Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Peterborough Campus, Trent University, Canada
4 Leslie New — Assistant Professor of Statistics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Vancouver
Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University Vancouver, Canada
5 Naomi Rose — Marine Mammal Scientist, Animal Welfare Institute
Marine Mammal Scientist, Animal Welfare Institute
6 Jakob Tougaard — Senior Researcher, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University
Senior Researcher, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark
7 Andrew Wright — Marine Advisor at Department of Conservation, New Zealand
Marine Conservation Advisor, Department of Conservation, New Zealand

(3) Other cetacean conservation experts and researchers
1 Viena Mak — Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society
Ms. Viena Mak, representative of Samuel Hung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society
2 Shane Guan — Fisheries Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce
Fisheries Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce
3 Daniel Sheehy — Aqua Bio, Inc. USA
Aqua Bio, Inc. USA
4 Marie-Francoise Van Bressem — Cetacean Conservation Medicine Group (CMED), Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research
Member of the Cetacean Conservation Medicine Group (CMED), Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research

Guiding agencies: Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan; Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan
Organizers: Taiwan Matsu Fish Conservation Union (incorporated association)
Taiwan Barefoot Ecological Association (incorporated association)
Executing agency: Taiwan Matsu Fish Conservation Union (incorporated association)
Advisory agency: Eastern Taiwan Strait Sousa Technical Advisory Working Group
(Eastern Taiwan Strait Sousa Technical Advisory Working Group)
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The event is free. Those interested in attending please fill in the registration form Seating is limited, and admission will be based on the order of arrival on the day. Everyone is requested to arrive on time to avoid disappointment.