New life for Taiwan’s coast

　Fishing vessels rely on their ports to berth, load supplies and unload their haul, make repairs, and take shelter, providing financial and physical security to fishermen. Because at many ports the facilities and equipment, such as breakwaters, docks, and towing passes, are quite old, repairs must be completed promptly if the ports are to attract domestic tourists. In 2008, the COA carried out a total of 59 construction projects including phase two of the Yenpu harbor expansion, phase four of the of Anping Fish Harbor project, reconstruction of the seafood market at Donggang Harbor, breakwater extension at Waimu Shan fishing harbor, and construction of a wooden viewing trestle at the Wangkung fishing port.

　Generally, Taiwan’s fishing ports tend to be small and are easily affected by the northeastern monsoon and coastal sand drift. Only by solving the resulting sediment problem can the safety of fishing vessels entering and exiting the ports be ensured. To keep the ports in good working order over the past year, the COA provided an additional NT$177 million in funds to 13 county and city governments and performed 41 dredging operations to improve port operations, increase safety, and protect local fishermen and their livelihoods. In order to modernize fishery distribution and marketing channels, construction was completed on the Hsinchu fish market ice factory and parking lot expansion at the Miaoli fish market.

Promotion of responsible fishery

　To cope with the effects of environmental change on Taiwan’s fishing industry, the COA held a nationwide industry meeting with the theme of healthy, efficient, and sustainable fishing on August 12. A total of 232 guests attended from industry, government, and academia. Attendees agreed upon 26 important conclusions and drew up 46 concrete measures to spur economic vitality in the fishing industry.

　To encourage responsibly fishing and provide effective management of deep-sea fishing vessels, the COA announced the Statute Governing Investment and Management of Non-Taiwanese Fishing Boats on December 17, 2008. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has allocated Taiwan with the same Atlantic tuna quota in 2009 as in the previous year.

　On August 18, 2008, per request of Taiwanese fishermen, restrictions were eased on mainland Chinese crew members enabling them to stay in port to help unload the catch and perform other work. Also, the COA provided incentives to encourage ship owners to obey the Employment Services Law, under which they are allowed to hire a total of 500 foreign crew members and receive a subsidy of NT$2,000 per worker for one year. In addition, a total of 60,000 cubic meters of various types of artificial reefs were constructed and 5.25 million fish fry were released into the ocean to maintain biodiversity. The COA also increased monetary incentives for buybacks and retirement of fishing vessels while eliminating maximums for incentives to retire fishing vessels heavier than 100 tons.

Promotion of sustainable ecological environmental development

　Greening Taiwan

　By providing incentives, the COA hopes to encourage farmers to perform afforestation on portions of their land, improving Taiwan’s environment and creating beautiful plains that are ecologically complete. This project will expand outdoor recreational areas available for the public and develop the leisure industry in these newly green flatland areas for the vision of “safe, ecological, and superior home”. 

　According to the State of the World’s Forests 2007, a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world lost 7.3 million hectares of forest annually, about twice the area of Taiwan, each year between 2000 and 2005. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agreed to a resolution in 2007 with the goal of increasing forest land in member nations by 20 million hectares by 2020 to reduce the rate at which carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. As a member of APEC, Taiwan must add 11,550 hectares of new forest. To meet this obligation, Taiwan is actively promoting a forestation plan to increase the percentage of forest cover on the island, thereby conserving soil and water, greening the environment, and reducing the impact of natural disasters

　As part of the “Blueprints for Taiwan Economy”, the government announced “i-Taiwan 12 projects”, a series of infrastructure categories to receive special emphasis in policy planning. Forestation is 10th of the 12 emphasized areas. Within eight years, the plan is to create 60,000 hectares of new flatland forests, by providing direct subsides for forestation projects of NT$120,000 per hectare per year, which will total NT$2.4 million over 20 years. The project was ratified by the Executive Yuan on December 8, 2008. In 2008 alone, 1,558.5 hectares of land were afforested, including 609 hectares of flatlands, 525 hectares of slopeland, 70 hectares of coastline, 46.5 hectares on outlying islands, and 308 hectares of degraded land.

　Establishing flatland forest recreational areas

　To deal with adjustments to Taiwan’s agricultural industry structure following Taiwan’s accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture provided incentives, subsidies, and consultation to encourage the forestation of former farmland. From 2002 to 2007, the Bureau promoted a forestation and beautification plan for Taiwan’s plains, resulting in a total of 11,017 hectares of afforested area. Three large-scale forest recreational areas were established in order to effectively make use of these newly green areas, integrating the surrounding agricultural industry, local culture, community operations, and environmental education. In addition, the creation of these areas will provide new opportunities for the public to enjoy outdoor leisure activities.

　These plain forest recreational areas are an important part of the Green Forestation portion of the “i-Taiwan 12 Projects” series of construction projects, which calls for their completion by the end of 2012. The COA’s Forestry Bureau invited a group of 11 experts to form a working group in June 2008 to set up qualifications for the potential locations. The group determined that the land should be at or below 500 meters above sea level and consist of at least 1,000 hectares. Other considerations were landscape features, transportation accessibility, neighboring leisure sites, and local geography.

　After determining the site criteria, the working group made an evaluation of six potential sites. Following a meeting held in November, three sites were chosen as possible locations for such development. They included Danong-Dafu Farm in Hualien County, Linhou Farm in Pintung County, and Dongshi-Aogu Farm in Chiayi County.

　The plain forest recreational areas will be positioned as ecotourism areas with limited development. Overall planning will begin in 2009, with local governments, environmental protection groups, residents, and Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC) representatives taking part to facilitate ecological conservation, environmental revitalization, and development of the local economy.

　Forest ecotourism

　Taiwan’s unique and diverse mountain forest ecosystems and beautiful landscapes are the best places to promote and develop forest ecotourism. In order to meet domestic needs for outdoor recreation, the COA’s Forestry Bureau planned and constructed 18 national forest recreation areas and the national trail system. In addition, it established nature education centers to educate visitors about the environment and enhance the travel experience.

　In 2008, the COA aimed to add more variety to Taiwan’s ecotourism options. Three National forest recreation areas on Taipingshan, Dongyanshan, and Dasyueshan earned recognition as outstanding ecotourism sites by the Ministry of the Interior. Over the past year, a total of 14 national trail systems and 56 regional trail systems were mapped out on these mountains, while 120 kilometers of trails were improved on national forest land, three nature education centers were constructed, four orienteering maps were created and relevant checkpoints established, and trail guides received training. In 2008, national forest recreation areas provided 3.12 million travelers the opportunity to experience the majesty of Taiwan’s mountain forests. National forest volunteers serviced 693,023 people about ecotourism, while the COA held 143 interactive ecotourism promotional activities, effectively increasing the visibility of ecotourism.

　In order to protect ecotourism sites, the COA trained 190 trainers to promote the Leave No Trace forest movement and monitored 57 trails within the national forest recreation areas. The COA held a variety of training programs, inspections, and 42 emergency rescue drills to ensure traveler safety and improve service quality. Taiwan’s National Trails, recognized as one of 2008’s exceptional government publications, was one of the promotional materials printed and distributed by the COA. In addition to print media, the COA updated the Taiwan Forest Recreation Website, which provides ecotourism information to potential visitors and serves as a digital education platform. The site attracted over 600,000 people in 2008.

　Sustainable management of forestry

　To keep abreast of Taiwan’s forest resources, the COA’s Forestry Bureau conducted the 4th  national forest resource survey and set up a long-term ecosystem monitoring system in 2008. Through the end of December, 112,244 hectares of public and private forest were surveyed in Miaoli County, with 270 surveys conducted on national forest working circles in Yilan and other areas, re-surveys were conducted on 410 permanent plots, and 42 hectares of long-term plots were established and surveyed. The COA also completed the first phase of installing the National Geographic Information System’s image sharing platform. In order to enhance coastal ecological restoration, enrich island landscapes, and mitigate damage caused by drifting sand, monsoons, salt spray, and tidal waves, forestation was carried out on 116 acres of coastline and on offshore islands. The COA also enhanced forest protection and inspection of wild areas, to prevent forest fires, illegal logging, and excessive crop cultivation. In 2008, a total of 22 forest fires were extinguished (affecting 44.8313 hectares), 75 cases of illegal logging were intercepted (191.048 cubic meters of lumber), and 64 cases of excessive cultivation were discovered (affecting 20.764 hectares of land). The forest and nature conservation police force arrested 621 subjects suspected in 404 cases of violating the Forest Act, Wildlife Conservation Act, Water and Soil Conservation Act, or other relevant laws and regulations.

　The COA works to prevent soil ablation and collapse in national forest areas, prevent debris flows from clogging waterways, mitigate damage caused by floods and landslides, and the ensure the safety of people and public facilities, while also extending the lives of Taiwan’s reservoirs. To achieve these goals, a total of 200 sabo engineering projects and soil and water conservation engineering in potential landslide areas were carried out, 266.38 hectares of land in potential landslide areas was stabilized, and a total of 6,977,300 cubic meters of earth and sand were contained. The COA also performed 17 watershed management projects and 40 forest trail improvement and maintenance projects. The COA continued to manage 464,900 hectares of protected forests, while 41,100 additional hectares were brought under the COA’s protection.

　Maintaining biodiversity

　The COA, in collaboration with Academia Sinica and 22 other governmental agencies, moved forward with 38 projects under the Biodiversity Action Plan. In order to meet 2010 Biodiversity Targets, Taiwan has revised relevant policies to bring them in line with international practices. Achievements include the establishment of the Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF) and the National Portal of GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), which together facilitate the integration of biodiversity databases and establishment of informational websites. TaiBIF stores metadata on 709 experts and 48,568 species. On March 29, Taiwan established the Republic of China National Committee for GBIF, an inter-agency platform to share information on biodiversity.

　The COA implemented a national vegetation inventory and mapping program. The program established 3,564 field plots, completed 3,247 vegetation maps (at 1:5000 scale), mapped 12,857 sites, and collected and collated 1,000 related academic papers. A total of 74,398 seeds and germplasm were conserved in seed banks for preservation and research purposes. The COA also carried out biodiversity education programs and subsidized community-based forestry projects, 645 of which are in phase one, while nine are in phase two.

　The Forestry Bureau created the Biodiversity 911 program, a travelling educational exhibition that has visited Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taitung. Additionally, the bureau celebrated the success of its biodiversity promotion plan, touting the achievements of 22 different agencies from 2001 to 2007.

　The COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) works to prevent red imported fire ant infestation in Taiwan, confiscate or destroy smuggled animals and products, assess risk of imported pets and insects, and promote public awareness. In addition, BAPHIQ screens for serious communicable diseases in plants and animals and guards against harmful organisms in high risk areas throughout Taiwan. The Department of Animal Industry investigates all species of animals sold in pet shops in Taiwan. The Forestry Bureau has eradication programs for invasive species, including Mikania micrantha (bitter vine), Asiatic Painted Frog, Brown Anole, Blue Magpie, and White-rumped Shama.

　The COA’s Fisheries Agency conducts ecological surveys of Taiwan’s coast and outlying islands. The agency also collected over 2,311 biological specimens and discovered 17 Chinese White Dolphin pods. In 2008, Taiwan instituted a complete ban on the hunting, sale, and possession of whale sharks. We have also completed DNA sequencing for 257 of Taiwan’s commercial fish species.

Enhancing protection and restoration of national lands

　Flood minimization in easily inundated areas

　The COA’s Soil and Water Conservation Bureau aims to protect Taiwan’s slopelands and prevent flooding. The Bureau has completed 1,243 phase one construction projects resulting in the reduction of an estimated 7.84 million cubic meters of sediment in watersheds, representing a 37.7% watershed completion ratio, up from a previous 35%.

　The COA continued to work on phase one agricultural field drainage improvement projects, completing 34 of 35 pending projects. In addition, a total of 24 phase two projects were approved and nine were completed, all of which will improve drainage, reduce losses due to floods, increase land utilization values, and improve sanitation.

　Promoting the protection and restoration of national land

　The COA’s Forestry Bureau carried out its reforestation strategy and action plan, recovering 306.05 hectares of illegally occupied forestland and reclaiming 1,200.4 hectares of legally rented forestland. Restoration was performed on 308 hectares of degraded land, which included overcultivated forestland and areas of degraded, burned, and landslide-prone land.

　In 2008, the COA continued to rent sea water-flooded paddy fields in Kohu Township, Yunlin County. They have been developed into a wetlands ecological park. A meeting was held to discuss the feasibility and implementation for similar parks in Haomeiliao and Aogu Townships, which would effectively protect biodiversity, mitigate land subsidence, and protect national lands.

　In order to protect natural ecological resources and promote the sustainable development of national land resources, the COA performed surveys on 3,750 hectares of slopeland, held 121 educational programs on the protection and restoration of slopelands, performed two plant protection activities, surveyed 19,991 hectares of land for overuse, monitored 1,167 hectares of forested land, performed a sixth satellite monitoring of slopelands, clamped down on 1,282 instances of slopeland development, and refilled supplies at 33 disaster shelters.

　The COA performed preventive measure to mitigate land subsidence in coastal areas, focusing on Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Pingtung Counties, areas recognized as having the most serious subsidence problems. In 2008, NT$310 million was budgeted for the completion of the Sialun sea water delivery station in Yunlin County and a total of 33 sea water delivery systems in 10 aquaculture farming areas. These projects will benefit 1,750 hectares of fish farms by creating a more favorable sea water environment and will stimulate development of additional fish and seafood farms in the area.

　Promoting soil and water conservation and flood control

　The multipurpose Shihmen Reservoir in northern Taiwan is facing an increasingly serious sediment problem. To resolve this issue and prolong the life of the reservoir while still respecting nature, the COA has actively promoted watershed conservation, land-use, and slopeland management policies. The first phase, which lasted from 2006 to 2008, had a budget of NT$3.914 billion and brought 54% of affected land under management, up from the earlier 45%. Over 10.5 million cubic meters of sediment were stabilized and 67 hectares of landslide prone areas were restored. By the end of 2008, a total of 220 watershed protection and restoration projects were begun and are on the way to being successively completed. After each project is completed, the COA continues to maintain each recovery area. Through satellite monitoring, we have determined that in the wake of a series of typhoons, sediment control measures have effectively reduced instances of slopeland collapse and debris flow in areas that have undergone restoration. Additionally, these stable areas have halted the further spread of such events, reducing the amount of sediment created and prolonged the lives of reservoirs.

　Over the past year, the COA pressed forward on large-scale sediment control projects to prevent disastrous debris flows and ensure proper watershed management, furthering its goal of protecting water and soil resources and creating safe, high-quality, ecologically friendly watersheds. The COA also implemented a comprehensive watershed disaster prevention plan also aimed at protecting ecological resources and beautifying the areas. Due to limited funds and manpower, the watersheds are ranked by importance and approximately fifty to sixty percent of the total yearly budget goes towards priority watersheds. The balance of the budgeted funds goes towards publically-requested projects and emergency or disaster related construction. This strategy involves implementing systematic and comprehensive management of small watersheds, then linking these areas together until entire river basins are brought under the COA management. In 2008, NT$788 million was budgeted for this project and construction on a total of 853 soil and water conservation projects carried out, increasing the percent of total watersheds completion ratio to 39%.

　Establishing a debris flow prevention system

　To strengthen debris-flow prevention, the COA regularly updates the database on potential debris flow torrents and drew up the regulations for the Information Publications of Potential Debris Flow Disaster. The COA uses the QPESUMS rainfall estimation and monitoring system, developed jointly with the Central Weather Bureau, to improve the accuracy of debris flow warnings. In preparation against debris flow events, the COA held 43 drills (for a total of 453 drills in the council’s history), 175 debris flow prevention sessions (for a total of 796), 95 evacuation drills (for a total of 564), training sessions for 250 assistance personnel (for a total of 1,408 trained), and prevention meetings in 36 communities (for a total of 108 communities). The COA also assisted 19 counties (cities), 154 towns, and 522 villages to establish a debris flow evacuation plan and listed 31,954 people living in potential evacuation zones. These steps have effectively increased public awareness of debris flows, familiarized people with evacuation routes and occasions, and educated people on when to evacuate to minimize casualties when disaster does strike.

　Monitoring and management of slopelands

　To combat illegal development on slopelands, local governments have not only increased monitoring of defined patrol areas, but are also utilizing satellite imagery, an online mailbox, and a free hotline to collect additional information on potential illegal activities. At the same time, the COA is assisting county and city governments to establish a corps of soil and water conservation specialists consisting of expert technicians, members of academic organizations, and those interested in assisting their communities. These volunteers can educate the public on the law to prevent illegal development and assist the public to conserve and protect Taiwan’s soil and water. In 2008, 1,268 applications, along with their soil and water conservation plans, were approved for development projects covering 1,001 hectares of land. The COA carried out a total of 1,963 inspections carried out during the construction process.

　In 2008, a total of 2,398 points of difference were found in slopeland areas by comparing earlier satellite images. The COA cracked down on 1,282 cases of illegal slopeland usage, covering 382 hectares, netting NT$88.43 in fines. Forty-seven of the cases were referred to judicial authorities for further investigation and prosecution. The COA also counseled local governments on setting up soil and water conservation service corps and 1,370 acts of public service were carried out to enhance public understanding of relevant laws. Education and punishment of offenders can help to promote proper use of slopelands.