Blotchy (TW-28) photo.

Blotchy (TW-28) March 2009: photo courtesy of Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association


A photo of Blotchy (TW-28) taken in the waters off Taichung this week. Blotchy (TW-28) would be a juvenile to sub-adult individual. She [we think] was first identified in early April 2003 around the Dadu River estuary area as a more grey coloured animal. She has been seen again in 2004, 2007, 2008 and now in 2009.


See:
Meet three of the Taiwan Humpback Dolphins

Recent Taiwan Humpback Dolphin Photos

Video:- Taiwan Pink Dolphins off the Taichung Thermal Power Plant, the planet's dirtiest coal-fired power plant

A pink dolphin off the Taichung Powerplant at Wuchi (click photo to enlarge).


See the video clip on the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association website of some Taiwan Pink Dolphins off the Taichung Thermal Power Plant (Wuchi), the planet's dirtiest coal-fired power plant according to Nature magazine (Vol 450/15 November 2007, p 327:- Graphic detail Countries with highest CO2-emitting power sectors, Tonnes per year).

Key Articles

List of Key Articles:

Save the Taiwan Pink Dolphin

Critically Endangered Status for Taiwan's Pink Dolphins

Taiwan’s pink dolphins in peril, says newly-formed international scientific working group Eastern Taiwan Strait Sousa Technical Advisory Working Group (ETSSTAWG)

Papers on the Humpback Dolphin

West Coast Industrial Development Leaves Endangered Dolphins Little Breathing Space

Update on the Taiwan Pink Dolphins

Meet three of the Taiwan Pink Dolphins

The impact of wind farm construction on the Pink Dolphins

Taiwan Pink Dolphin Pamphlet

Canadian scientists race to save Taiwan's rare pink dolphins

Houlong Science Park delayed

Central News Service 09 March 2009 1535 Taipei
Adapted by Wild News Service from the original Hanji

A planned industrial park for Miaoli County was sent by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee back to a sub committee for further screening by a vote of 7 to 5 with two invalid votes. Miaoli County Commissioner, Liu Chenghong’s presence at the meeting failed to intimidate the commission.

Commissioners said that the information on the cultural surveys was inadequate and although the developer has already done survey work the results of the survey were not disclosed in their application materials. There was also specific mention of the impact the park’s development would have on habitat of the humpback dolphins.

The Assessment Committee members remarked that if the Miaoli County Commissioner felt that there was no need to consult with the landowners who own 51% of the land to be developed he might need to have his head examined. There are over 300 landowners whose opposing opinions have not been dealt with and the committee said that there concerns should be addressed on a priority basis.

The Director of the Taiwan Academy of Ecology Professor Chung Ding-mao pointed out that the agricultural land to be developed is prime land as rated by Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture and the move will impact more than 2000 people. He noted the prospective violence that would be perpetrated against the people in the event the government turns to eminent domain to take the land from the farmers.

Chang Fongnien of the Taichung New Environment Promotion Association and a practicing physician, noted that taking land from people who are working the land is quite a different matter from the simple transfer of land from the Taiwan Sugar Corporation as has been the case in other recent industrial park developments. He noted the watermelon festival held annually in the area as well as the presence of an ecological village, pointing out that in this regard the developer simply said “the development will not affect any protected forest”.

Dr. Chang also cited the harassment of local by police and the local Environmental Protection Bureau for having put out banners protesting the project upon learning of it last November. He said these are examples that underscore the duplicity of the government when it states it doesn’t want to “overdevelop” or that it encourages the participation of the people in decision making.

Commissioner Liu during the meeting said it is all about money and everything else is a “bunch of flatulence”. He said the majority of the people support the project this is just a protest by a small minority.


Comments: Although Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association has a colleague watching this case the author is not that familiar with the situation other than the pattern is identical to what we have witnessed time and again for so called “science park” development. First the government prefers science parks over industrial parks because it is easier to confiscate the land. Second, there are thousands of hectares of vacant land in Taiwan’s industrial and science parks, this project is one of the many “pork” items the Ma/Xiao regime is using to consolidate its power. Miaoli, a predominately Hakka county is also traditionally a very pro Chinese Kuomintang area. A bi-election is being held in this county for legislator on account of the person (Chinese KMT) who’s position will be contested having been convicted and sentence for vote buying. Miaoli long known until quite recently as a major producer of pottery is also the location of historical kilns built during the Japan era. Under Commissioner Liu’s watch history and culture don’t seem to be faring so well. Last week he claimed to know nothing about “any dolphins” near the coast of Miaoli. Not a good sign.

Also see:
Group to take action against local officials over kilns

Miaoli officials caught in a lie

More on the Songshan Tree issue

The David on Formosa blog has a firsthand account of the removal of the last old camphor tree from the site of the the old Songshan Tobacco Factory.
See Green Party protests to save tree for more on the Songshan tree issue.

Also see:

Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed

Photos from Mailiao: more dolphin habitat gone !

The following photos document a land reclamation project in known Humpback Dolphin habitat at the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) Plant at Mailiao, Yunlin County. Photos A & B show humpback dolphins in the waters off the FPG plant in the summer of 2007. In photo A the reclamation work is just starting and earth-moving machinery is clearly visible on the shore. The dolphin is between the two pink arrowheads. It should be noted that the FPG Plant is largely built on reclaimed land. The construction of the plant radically changed and destroyed much of the Jhoushuei River estuary. The Jhoushuei River is Taiwan's largest river. Interviews with local fishermen show that before the construction of the plant dolphins where frequently seen in the area where the plant now stands. It should also be noted that the plant was completed two years before Taiwan's first ever democratic elections in 1996 so the environmental impact assessments, if one can even refer to them as that, were done by an autocratic one party regime.

Humpback Dolphins have been documented by international scientists in the waters around the FPG Plant. Developers denied the existence of the dolphins within the area. Environmental lawyer Robin Winkler was even assaulted during a meeting at the Environmental Protection Administration offices in November 2007 by the Yunlin County Assembly Speaker when pro-development supporters denied the existence of the dolphins around the FPG Plant. Since that time even FPG's scientists have had to acknowledge observing dolphins in the waters around the plant. Despite this reclamation continues.

Valuable known habitat for these critically endangered dolphins is being lost at an alarming rate. It seems that FPG is determined to drive what is arguably the most endangered dolphin population on the planet from the Jhoushuei River estuary. With little habitat remaining elsewhere and development projects all along the west coast there is nowhere else for the dolphins to go other than over the edge into extinction.


Click on a photo to enlarge it !

Photo A shows a humpback dolphin in the waters off the FPG plant in the summer of 2007 (photo courtesy of FormosaCetus).


Photo B shows photo grabs from a video filmed off the FPG plant (video courtesy of FormosaCetus) in the summer of 2007. Note the coast guard tower in the photos. The tower is visible in many of the photos below. Click here to watch the video clip.


Photo C (2007-08-02) shows early construction work for the reclamation project. The photo is of the south sea-wall being constructed. Note the coast guard tower shown in Photo B clearly visible in this photo.


Photo D (2007-09-28) shows the south wall of the the reclamation project. The south sea-wall construction area is now walled off.


Photo E (2008-08-08) shows the south sea-wall roughly eleven months later. The coast guard tower is just visible to the right of the south sea-wall (click on the photo to enlarge it) and the north sea-wall is visible in the left of the photo.


Photo F (2008-08-08) shows the the construction of the north sea-wall. Photo taken from the end of the south sea-wall.


Photo G (2008-08-08) shows boulders being dumped into the sea for the construction of the north sea-wall. Photo taken from the south sea-wall.


Photo H (2008-08-08) shows the the area between the two sea-walls that will be reclaimed.


Photo I (2008-08-08) shows a comparison of Photos A & H. The area where the dolphin was in Photo A is indicated with an orange arrowhead. It clearly shows this area within the area of the two sea-walls.


Photo J (2009-03-05) shows the area to be reclaimed enclosed by sea-walls. The dolphin in Photo A was situated within this area.


Photo K (2009-03-05) shows the view from the shore looking out to where the dolphin in Photo A was. The area is now enclosed within the sea-walls.


Photo L (2009-03-05) shows the south sea-wall at present.


Photo M (2009-03-05) shows the coast guard tower off the end of the south sea-wall.


Photo N (2009-03-05) shows a ship squirting a concrete-grey liquid into the water between the coast guard tower and the end of the south-sea-wall. Any comments on what this ship may be doing would be appreciated.


Photo O (2009-03-05) shows a ship squirting a concrete-grey liquid into the water between the coast guard tower and the end of the south-sea-wall. Any comments on what this ship may be doing would be appreciated.

Update: We've been told the ship was dumping mud dredged from the Mailiao Port entrance channel.


Also see:
Mailiao Reclamation Site - The Green Area ? (2007)
Pictures from Mailiao (2008)
FPG land reclamation in pink dolphin habitat update (2010)

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

The Taiwan News online has just reported that the last of almost 700 native old camphor trees at the site of the old Songshan Tobacco Factory has gone. Police once again clashed with protesters and failed to protect the tree whose legal status still lies before the courts undecided. Police allowed the removal of the tree to go ahead and failed to arrest those who removed the tree. Once again the Taiwan Police have shown total disregard for the legal process when it comes to protecting the environment.

See:

Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

More on the Songshan Tree issue

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed