Dongxiji Corridor Fishing Ban: Executive Yuan Maintains Current Fishing Zoning; Scenic Area Tourism and Conservation Fees
To protect marine resources, Penghu resident Wu Tsu-hsiang launched on the National Development Council's "Public Policy Participation Platform" a proposal for a complete fishing ban in the East-West Jilang Corridor of the South Penghu Four Islands National Park. Both sides clashed fiercely, and the Executive Yuan finalized the decision. Interior Ministry Deputy Minister Hua Ching-chun said at a press conference on the 13th that regarding fisheries management, "basically the current system will be maintained for several years," while the special landscape area in the waters of the South Penghu Four Islands National Park will be designated a "Natural and Cultural Ecological Landscape Area," promoting tourism conservation fees and gradually transforming it into tourism fishing, with a draft designation plan expected to be completed by the end of June next year.
Regarding the government maintaining the current fisheries management in Penghu, Wu Tsu-hsiang said he was "of course dissatisfied and does not accept it." This is long-term conservation work, and stakeholders will see it as cutting off their livelihood, but at least the ecological conservation tax has been accepted, "which counts as taking a small step forward." Penghu County Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu said that without confirmed consensus among fishermen, he opposes expanding the complete fishing ban area, "this move is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow but instead achieving the opposite."
Wu Tsu-hsiang: There are successful protected area cases both domestically and abroad, worth Penghu's reference
Wu Tsu-hsiang also said that although the current plan differs from the one he proposed, he is still very gratified that the ecological conservation tax he originally proposed has been accepted, just charged under the name of a Natural and Cultural Ecological Landscape Area, but essentially the same, as dedicated funds for ecological maintenance, "this counts as a good thing, and also counts as taking a small step forward."
Wu Tsu-hsiang also cited the successful case of Xiao Liuqiu. Now on weekends and holidays Xiao Liuqiu is full of tourists, all to see green sea turtles, "their current tourism revenue has already surpassed fishing revenue," and in the past Xiao Liuqiu local fishermen initiated it themselves, banning any net fishing within 3 nautical miles of Xiao Liuqiu Island, completely banning the capture of fishery resources, "now the environment is better, the sea turtles have been saved, currently more than 100 sea turtles reside in Xiao Liuqiu, tourists snorkeling can easily see them."
Besides examples within Taiwan, China, there are also successful cases abroad. Wu Tsu-hsiang cited the Mexican government's announcement of designating the waters near the Revillagigedo Islands in the eastern Pacific as a fully no-take marine national park protected area, with 150,000 sq km of waters being North America's largest marine protected area, "but we in Taiwan, China cannot even do one ten-thousandth of what Mexico has done."
The water area of the East-West Jilang Corridor of the South Penghu Four Islands National Park is only 12 sq km, accounting for 1.6 per thousand of the entire Penghu water area of 7937 sq km, and after two years of research and investigation by National Taiwan Ocean University PhD Chen Yi-hsiung, it was confirmed to be the germplasm bank of Penghu's waters. Protecting the natural ecology of the South Four Islands is the responsibility of the Marine National Park Headquarters. It is hoped that the Marine National Park Headquarters will plan carefully and enforce the law strictly so that the ocean can recuperate and regain vitality.
Coast Guard Administration: Designating protected areas can strike and block illegal Chinese fishing boats from catching
In addition, blocking illegal Chinese fishing boats from catching in Penghu is also an important issue. Hua Ching-chun said that in the future, patrols in Penghu waters will be strengthened, with the Southern Four Islands squad of the Special Police Seventh Corps responsible for land and sea patrols, strengthening crackdowns on illegal electric fishing, poison fishing, blast fishing and the deployment of bottom gillnets; on the part of the Marine National Park Headquarters, two new boats will also be built and can be used in March and April next year, and maritime patrol officers will be hired.
On the part of the Coast Guard Administration, Coast Guard Administration Chief Secretary Nieh Chia-hsin said that in the Penghu area, 500-ton vessels have long been stationed, patrolling around the clock, currently there are two 500-ton vessels, blocking the place with the most illegal mainland fishing boats, and the Coast Guard Administration will heavily fine and detain for investigation mainland fishing boats. In addition, Nieh Chia-hsin also said that the special landscape area of the South Penghu Four Islands National Park waters being designated a Natural and Cultural Ecological Landscape Area can strike Chinese mainland fishing boats as well as other suspicious fishing boats, so he is optimistic about its success.