On December 11, 2023, Taiwan’s Control Yuan took significant action by implementing corrective measures against four government agencies due to their failure to protect Xiaoliuqiu’s coral reefs, which have seen a dramatic decline. This decision stemmed from a report commissioned by Control Yuan members Dr. Lin Sheng-fong and Fan Sun-lu, which revealed that the coral cover on Xiaoliuqiu had plummeted from a range of 30% to 50% before 2015 to just 11.9% between 2021 and 2023—the lowest in Taiwan.
The report attributes this alarming decline to various factors, primarily a reduction in biodiversity linked to snorkeling and intertidal zone tourism. The Control Yuan identified four key agencies responsible for this ecological degradation: the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Headquarters (DBNSAH), the Tourism Administration, the Ocean Affairs Council, and the Pingtung County Government. A critical issue highlighted was sustained overtourism, which the DBNSAH has inadequately managed. Though the agency recognized the need for sustainable tourism planning and commissioned a study to evaluate the island’s tourism capacity, it failed to consider the ecological impacts adequately.
On the matter of overtourism, the Ocean Affairs Council has urged the DBNSAH since 2022 to reassess tourist numbers allowed on Xiaoliuqiu based on the Act for the Development of Tourism. Despite this, the DBNSAH only began addressing the issue within the current year, delaying effective solutions. Additionally, the Tourism Administration did not sufficiently oversee the DBNSAH, while the Ocean Affairs Council neglected to act on its own recommendations effectively.
The inefficacy extends to Pingtung County Government, which has struggled with the management of intertidal zones. Even after implementing restrictions on tourist numbers in 2022, these rules lack proper enforcement in specific zones, and corals have not been recognized as a protected species within designated marine areas.
Another major concern noted by the Control Yuan is the Ocean Affairs Council’s failure to enforce stricter nutrient salt standards in marine environments. Corals, being highly sensitive to nutrient salts, cannot thrive under the current regulations, which are less stringent than those in neighboring countries. The substandard wastewater treatment facilities in Xiaoliuqiu exacerbate the situation by allowing excess nutrients to feed harmful algae, further jeopardizing coral health.
The Control Yuan has called for immediate interventions from the Ocean Affairs Council and the Pingtung County Government to rectify these environmental issues. The measures aim to enforce better management practices, reduce tourism pressure, and improve wastewater treatment standards to protect and restore Xiaoliuqiu’s critically endangered coral reefs.
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