Alarm over destruction of Guanyin Algal Reef

Thirty years ago, the coastal region of Taoyuan was a place where inhabitants enjoyed clean, rich fishing waters, and famous bathing spots were often alive with the sound of hearty laughter. After the opening of Linkou Power Plant in 1967, each year the northwest monsoon winds would bring sulfur dioxide and other pollutants from the plant. This inflicted great damage on the coastal forest that acted as a windbreak for coastal farming lands – known locally as the Great Green Wall of Taoyuan.

As a consequence, it became impossible to work the rich farmland and gradually a plan to turn the area into an industrial zone arose. The creation of what was boasted to be a miracle of Taiwan, gave rise to the loss of clean fertile lands, rivers and coastal waters. In recent years, the environmental community has been providing detailed instruction on Guanyin’s algal reefs and simultaneously keeping a watchful eye over any changes to the local environment. The area was put on alert after the negative impact of numerous inappropriate development projects showed a rapid reduction in bio-diversity and specie numbers.

In 2007, the CPC Corporation destroyed the Guanyin algal reef while installing a pipeline. The issue was put under the spotlight when professor Liaw Gwo-sheng of the Endemic Species Research Institute (ESRI) declared that it was time for the people of Taiwan to understand the value and ecological importance of the algal reefs. In response, Taoyuan County Government called a community meeting, where it declared that a reservation would be set up to protect the algal reefs. Unfortunately, after a period of more than three and a half years, the reservation has yet to be established. Two years ago, Taoyuan County Government Cultural Affairs Bureau raised ‘Cry of the Algal Reef’, a large-scale music concert that called on all relevant departments to place appropriate importance on conserving the algal reefs.

However, everyone was left bitterly disappointed after the County’s Agricultural Department –which is responsible for this area - failed to find any kind of concrete or effective response. Environmental groups and citizen journalists are calling on Taoyuan County Government to immediately find the answer to effective conservation of these precious algal reefs created over several thousand years, reinstating them to their rightful glory.
 

PeoPo 公民新聞

Alarm over destruction of Guanyin Algal Reef

URL:

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=100885

(以下是中文對照)

觀音藻礁生態夜觀集錦 ( 大堀溪小兵 )

照片

30多年前，桃園沿海鄉民擁有潔淨的海岸，漁穫豐盛、海水浴場布滿嬉戲的歡笑聲，民國57年林口電廠設立，飄散的二氧化硫等廢棄空汙隨著東北季風而來，損毀了保障沿海農地的綠色長城－防風林，海邊農地自此難以為耕，逐一被規劃為工業區。在造就著台灣奇蹟的背後，桃園失去了潔淨的土地、河流和海岸，

近幾年來，在地的環保社群為各機關團體做環教導覽觀音藻礁的同時，也細心觀測藻礁區的生態變化，警覺藻礁區正被各式不當的人為開發所影響，生物的多樣性與數量都在急速減少中。96年，中油為了埋輸油管線破壞了觀音藻礁區，在農委會特生中心劉靜榆博士揭發呼籲，桃園觀音藻礁之珍貴與生態的重要性開始獲得國人認同，僅待桃園縣政府辦理地方說明會即可劃定為保留區，然三年半來空轉至今。兩年前，桃園縣政府文化局辦理｢藻礁的吶喊｣大型音樂會，呼籲相關部門重視藻礁的保育工作，但是做為觀音藻礁區管理單位的縣府｢農業局｣則看不出有具體有效的作為因應，令人失望。環保團體與公民記者呼籲也要求桃園縣政府：請盡快公告觀音藻礁為｢自然保留區｣ ，並且立即邀請相關單位找出問題關鍵進行有效的保育工作，讓這個具有數千年歷史的珍貴自然資產得以恢復它應有的生存尊嚴。

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