In 2002, “IUCN/WCPA-EA4”, a conference on marine protection, was held at Yangmingshan. The representatives from different countries attending the conference urged our government to set up our first marine protected area in the waters of Dongsha Atoll. The Durban Accord reached at the “5th World Park Congress” held in South Africa in October, 2003 called on each nation to increase their marine protected areas to 12% of their territorial waters in the next ten years and build up a database on global marine protected areas in 2012.
On 6 August 2003, Council for Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan, instructed that “the restoration and conservation of the Dongsha Atoll is of high importance. Hence, the Coast Guard Administration’s law enforcement power should be enhanced. Also, taking practicality, specialty and performance into consideration, it is suggested that the Ministry of the Interior and relevant agencies should deliberate upon whether it is necessary to set up a marine national park and designate a specific agency to manage it. A feasible plan should be drawn and sent to the Executive Yuan for approval.” The Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior immediately commissioned experts and scholars to carry out a feasibility assessment. Experts, scholars, representatives of different authorities and the committee members of our National Park Planning Commission were also invited for a joint study.
On January 9, 2004, Ministry of the Interior submitted the “Feasibility Assessment and Zoning Area of Dongsha Marine National Park” to Executive Yuan. The report was referred to the Council for Economic Planning and Development on February 2, 2004 for discussion at the 1163rd committee meeting. The Executive Yuan replied the Ministry of the Interior by Yuan Letter TW No. 0930006751 dated February 25, 2004, “Dongsha Atoll is an integral coral reef with a unique marine ecological environment and a great variety of creatures, making it a crucial habitat for the South China Sea and Taiwan marine resources. And since the restoration and conservation of Dongsha Atoll is of high importance, we agree to the “Feasibility Assessment and Zoning Area of Dongsha Marine National Park” submitted by the Ministry of the Interior in principle.” On the “1st Meeting of Steering Committee on Marine Affairs, Executive Yuan” held by the Executive Yuan on March 31, 2004, it was also pointed out that the Executive Yuan’s approval of the setting up of a “marine national park” in Dongsha had declared that the marine ecological environment of outlying islands would be protected. It was listed as a sub-project of the marine resources unit. The bio-diversity unit of the National Council for Sustainable Development, Executive Yuan also put it on the list of projects to be implemented.
On December 19, 2006, Executive Yuan approved the “Dongsha Marine National Park Planning book and map (draft)” and asked the Ministry of the Interior to implement the project based on the discussions concluded by the Council for Economic Planning and Development, on November 30 and the comments proposed by relevant agencies: (1) Modify the name of the project to “Dongsha Atoll National Park Project” in order to emphasize the conserved Dongsha Atoll ecosystem and landscape features. (2) Executive Yuan agreed the draft of the “Dongsha Atoll National Park Planning book ” in principle and pointed out that the restoration and conservation of Dongsha Atoll should be accelerated. All restoration and conservation measures should be given priority and any subsequent ecological tour and environmental education will not be considered until the restoration and conservation job has reached to a certain level. (3) Although Dongsha Atoll National Park has been set up under the “Dongsha Atoll National Park Project”, the management of the park should be taken charged by the “Marine National Park Headquarters” which would oversee the Dongsha Atoll and assess the possibility of setting up a marine national park at Green Island, the Three Northern Islands or Penghu Islands in order to achieve the function of integrated management.
On January 17 2007, the Ministry of the Interior publicized the “Dongsha Atoll National Park Planning Book ”. Dognsha Marine National Park has formally become the 7th National Park in Taiwan, and it is also the first marine national park. On October 4, 2007, Marine National Park Headquarters was founded in Kaohsiung city; meanwhile. This marks an important milestone for Taiwan’s sustainable development of marine resources.
After Marine National Park Headquarters was established on October 4th, 2007, we subsequently set up the Dongsha Management on Dongsha Island on March 4th, 2008 to fulfill various local ongoing management projects of Dongsha Atoll National Park. Meanwhile, in accordance with the directions of the Executive Yuan, we shall actively carry out surveys regarding marine and terrestrial ecological resources, geology and topography, and cultural landscape in the south seas of Penghu, such as: Dongjiyu, Xijiyu, Dongyuping, Xiyuping as well as surrounding islets, in order to evaluate the feasibility and necessity of a National Park establishment.
On November 17th, 2010, the 89th meeting of National Park Planning Committee, Ministry of the Interior deliberated and approved the “South Penghu Marine National Park establishment feasibility evaluation and boundary delimitation draft”. Afterwards, the draft was delivered by the Executive Yuan to the Council for Economic Planning and Development (now merged into “National Development Council”) for further deliberation on December 29th, 2011, and the conclusion was: “We support the designation of the Southern Penghu Four Islands as a Marine National Park in principle for active conservation and preservation implementation of natural and cultural resources, in order to have sustainable preservation and sharing”. Therefore, according to the direction of Executive Yuan Letter TW No. 1010121882 showed on January 30th, 2012, the government will implement the concluded deliberation made by the Council for Economic Planning and Development.
On October 18th, 2013, the 105th meeting of National Park Planning Committee, Ministry of the Interior deliberated and approved the “South Penghu Marine National Park Planning book and map (draft)”. On the same year November 26th, Marine National Park Headquarters submitted an amended “South Penghu Marine National Park Planning Book (draft)” and a planning map (draft) to the Ministry of Interior, which were then transferred to the Executive Yuan for further deliberation.
On March 10th, 2014, Executive Yuan Letter TW No. 1030010925 approved the “South Penghu Marine National Park Planning Book” and indicated that there will be no Headquarters in the South Penghu Marine National Park. The operation and management will be incorporated into the existing organizational system of Marine National Park Headquarters. The decision was announced by the Ministry of Interior in the same year May 28th, and effective on June 8th. Now the South Penghu Marine National Park has become the 9th National Park in the country.
Chronology
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2003/08/06 | Council for Economic Planning and Development, Executive Yuan, instructed that “the restoration and conservation of the Dongsha Atoll is of high importance. Hence, the Coast Guard Administration’s law enforcement power should be enhanced. Also, taking practicality, specialty and performance into consideration, it is suggested that the Ministry of the Interior and relevant agencies should deliberate upon whether it is necessary to set up a marine national park and designate a specific agency to manage it. A feasible plan should be drawn and sent to the Executive Yuan for approval.” |
| 2004/01/09 | The Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior submitted the “Feasibility Assessment and Zoning Area of Dongsha Marine National Park” to Executive Yuan. |
| 2004/02/02 | The report was referred to the Council for Economic Planning and Development for discussion at the 1163rd committee meeting. |
| 2004/02/25 | Based on the Executive Yuan Letter TW No. 0930006751, the Executive Yuan approved the “Feasibility Assessment and Zoning Area of Dongsha Atoll National Park” proposed by the Ministry of the Interior. |
| 2004/03/31 | On the “1st Meeting of Steering Committee on Marine Affairs, Executive Yuan” held by the Executive Yuan, it was also pointed out that the Executive Yuan’s approval of the setting up of a “marine national park” in Dongsha had declared that the marine ecological environment of outlying islands would be protected. It was listed as a sub-project of the marine resources unit. The bio-diversity unit of the National Council for Sustainable Development, Executive Yuan also put it on the list of projects to be implemented. |
| 2006/12/19 | Executive Yuan approved the “Dongsha Marine National Park Planning book and map (draft)” proposed by the Ministry of the Interior. Also, based on the discussions concluded at the 1273rd committee meeting held by the Council for Economic Planning and Development, the Ministry of the Interior should modify the name of the project to “Dongsha Atoll National Park Project” in order to emphasize the conserved Dongsha Atoll ecosystem and landscape features. The “Marine National Park Headquarters” was established to oversee the Dongsha Atoll and assess the possibility of setting up a marine national park at Green Island, the Three Northern Islands or Penghu Islands in order to achieve the function of integrated management. |
| 2007/01/17 | The Ministry of the Interior formally publicized the “Dongsha Atoll National Park Planning Book”. The Dognsha Atoll National Park has become the 7th National Park in Taiwan, and it is also the first marine national park. |
| 2007/10/04 | Marine National Park Headquarters was formally founded in Kaohsiung city . This marks an important milestone for Taiwan’s marine conservation. |
| 2014/06/08 | The South Penghu Marine National Park plan was approved by the Executive Yuan in March 2014, and announced by the Ministry of the Interior in June, making it our 9th National Park and marking the birth of a second marine national park. |