August 07, 2008

by Kurtis Pei 裴家騏

Note: Wild and other local NGOs protested against importing panda "gifts" from China in 2005-6 (see our joint press release with Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan, Humanistic Education Foundation, The Homemaker's Union and Foundation, and Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan, and articles Panda Preservation in Taiwan and Pandas for You and Me). We recommend this recent article on the latest panda import plans, by Kurtis Pei 裴家騏, a professor at National Pingtung University’s Institute of Wildlife Preservation. (Translation by Angela Hong). This piece originally featured in the Taipei Times as a letter to the editor on June 3, 2008 (page 8).

Aside from economic topics, the meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) reconfirmed plans for the “gift” of two giant pandas to Taiwan. In response to questions during a legislative interpellation session, Minister of Agriculture Chen Wu-hsiung (陳武雄) said that, in principle, the sooner the pandas arrive, the better.

But China’s gifts of giant pandas have almost always been related to political purposes — and Beijing has made little effort to disguise that fact. Taiwan has no zoo or research group that has made any contribution to the conservation of giant pandas. We are, in a sense, not fully deserving of these creatures. We could very possibly waste the breeding potential of the two pandas, for although Sichuan breeders have had impressive success in breeding, other facilities around the world have been very unsuccessful. Giant pandas are also very costly and would likely affect the budget for indigenous wildlife conservation.

No plans to ban transfats
(See Taipei Times 28.07.08 CNA report p2). The nation's approach to protecting the health of its citizens and residents (we will do anything as long as it doesn't inconvenience the powers that be – i.e., the industrial gods and a goliaths who can't bear to see Taiwan take care of the rest of us at the expense of their and their families' profits and lifestyle).
This could also be an indicator of how the new regime would like we Taiwanese to view ourselves – a phrase that was commonly heard prior to 2000 was "大不死的蟑螂", loosely translated as "a cockroach with nine lives" to describe our fellow countrymen. Basically this had the result of perpetuating the idea that what may be toxic to the rest of the world really isn't so bad for us Taiwanese. Another phrase, still commonly heard is "習慣就好", ("we'll get used to it") or (well, get used to it).

Inability to protect the nation's newest national park.
(See Taipei Times 28.07.08 CNA report p2). Another one of the multitude of classic and sad examples of the often heard, "the laws are in place, there is just no enforcement" (有法律之不過是執行不彰). So there you have typical behavior, set up a national park, spend lots and lots of money and resources to do it, and then don't provide for adequate funding, human and other resources to follow up and maintain the park.

July 11, 2008

For the past three years one of Wild's big issues has been the conservation of the highly endangered humpback dolphins (or "Matsu's Fish") in the near-shore waters of western Taiwan. Our work and that of the Matsu’s Fish Conservation Union (MFCU -- a group of seven major Taiwanese NGOs, including Wild) was sparked off and is supported greatly by the prolific reporting of Dr. John Wang and Sichu Yang of FormosaCetus Research and Conservation Group, the small research team which has worked hard since 2002 to survey this distinct Taiwanese population and gather vital information about their numbers, basic biology and state of health. Their photographs have allowed us to see the dolphins up-close, including the wounds that around 30 percent of the population bear, believed to be a result of interactions with fishing vessels and nets. Photographs, news and scientific reports can be accessed at the MFCU website.

Now you can also watch the Taiwanese humpback dolphin population in these two videos, filmed and provided by FormosaCetus. Clearly visible in the background is Formosa Plastics Mailiao Industrial Park in Yunlin County -- where proponents of further development have denied the presence of these dolphins. Thanks to the work of FormosaCetus, including this kind of footage, we are able to disprove such claims and give this population a better hope of survival.

Wild is now fundraising to support this year's humpback dolphin survey, which is to be part of a long-term plan to monitor the population size. The information gained from this survey will advise urgently needed conservation action and allow us, the authorities and other stakeholders to assess and improve on any action that is taken to protect the population from extinction. To support the FormosaCetus 2008 research project please contact Chris at +886 (0)2 2382 5789 or chrisgagele@gmail.com.

May 26, 2008

Green Party Taiwan's Su-hsin Tsui addressing the Global Greens Congress on 3 May 2008 in São Paulo, Brazil, on the future of the Global Greens: Taiwan’s Perspective, Taiwan’s Role (Photos courtesy of Ting Ting)

A 22-member Green Party Taiwan delegation recently returned to the island from the second congress of the Global Greens that was held May 1-5 in São Paulo, Brazil. The first Global Greens congress was held in Canberra, Australia, in 2001, and produced the Global Greens' Charter, while the main document to come out of the São Paulo Conference was 21 Points for the 21st Century.

The Global Greens is an organization comprised of over 80 members from nearly as many countries with its administration being divided into four regional groups: Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The most active members are Green political parties, but other civic organizations are members and the Global Greens seek to include all groups that subscribe to the core values of ecological wisdom, non violence, social justice, sustainability, respect for diversity and participatory democracy.

Five major topics discussed at the congress were sustainable cities, climate change, post-Kyoto, future of the Global Greens, and biofuels versus biodiversity. In addition to adopting the 21 Points, the congress passed resolutions supporting the peoples' struggle in Tibet, ban on nuclear power as a response to climate change, and continued support for Ingrid Betancourt, the Colombian activist who was running for president on the Green Party ticket when abducted more than six years ago.

Upon their return to Taiwan, the delegation held a press conference on Monday, May 12, which was quite well received by the press.

Robin Winkler, founder and director of the Taiwan Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association, was active in the planning and execution of the visit. Winkler broke his three-anda-half-year "boycott" of international travel to join the delegation. During a debriefing for Wild colleagues on 16 May 2008, he explained his recent involvement in the Green Party Taiwan:

"Being punched by the head of Yunlin County's Assembly while the manager of Formosa Plastic's local plant looked on and facing ridicule and jeers from the media, Taiwan's EPA and other government agencies was one of the more traumatic experiences of my life. It forced me to reconsider the strategies of the environmental and social movements in the face of such an organized, well-funded and anarchic alliance of government, elected representatives, business and academics.

"World wide the movements face similar problems, however Taiwan differs in that we are very isolated from the rest of the world--not the world's multinational corporations or trade and investment delegations, but from a vast resource of dedicated people and organizations that will no longer allow the world to go on "business as usual". These groups have a lot to offer Taiwan, and with our connections to Green Parties around the world, we may actually be able to bring some pressure on business and government in Taiwan to reform its ways and to open up to public participation in important issues."