Environmental groups yesterday presented the Ministry of Economic Affairs with academic studies on endangered coral showing that it is not feasible to transplant coral away from the planned site of CPC Corp, Taiwan’s (CPC) third liquefied natural gas terminal.
The company plans to build a gas terminal on yet-to-be reclaimed land off Datan Borough (大潭) in Taoyuan’s Guantang Industrial Park.
However, environmental groups say the project could damage the endangered coral Polycyathus chaishanensis and a wide stretch of algal reef off the Datan coast.
Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said in a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday last week that the coral could be transplanted, triggering wide criticism from biologists.
Taiwan Wetland Society researchers, who were commissioned by CPC to conduct environmental studies on the coast, have misinformed Shen, said Academia Sinica biologist Allen Chen (陳昭倫), who discovered the coral on Datan’s coast in June.
“The ministry or the Executive Yuan should set up a forum so academics concerned about the issue can voice their opinions,” Chen said.
Chen and Taoyuan Local Union director-general Pan Chong-cheng (潘忠政) presented studies on the endangered coral and algal reef and called on ministry officials to increase their knowledge of local ecology.
Pan initiated an online petition to protect the endangered coral, which has attracted 7,000 signatures as of Tuesday, including those of former Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) and academician Liao Yun-fan (廖運範).
The Taoyuan Department of Agriculture has been ordered by the Council of Agriculture to collect relevant information to determine if the coral habitat should be designated as a conservation area, Council of Agriculture Minister Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) said at the legislature, responding to questions from New Power Party Legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明).
A decision is expected in six months, Lin said.
The council should assert its position to protect the endangered species, even though CPC’s project has to undergo another environmental review, Hsu said.
The Environmental Jurists Association is to hold a forum about protecting the coral today at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS