Today (12th), Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior, Jian-Hong Dong, along with Deputy Director of the National Park Service, Chen-Rong Chen, and Director of the Marine National Park Headquarters, Shao-Liang Hsu, visited the Penghu County Government to discuss issues related to the South Penghu Marine National Park with Deputy County Magistrate Jie-Hsing Lin.
Deputy Minister Dong stated that promoting “Net-zero emissions” will be the key focus of future national park initiatives. The Ministry of the Interior looks forward to closely collaborating with the county government, residents, academia, and civic groups to conduct natural and social research, jointly advancing ecological conservation and tourism development in the South Penghu Marine National Park.
Deputy Minister Jian-Hong Dong highlighted that since the establishment of the South Penghu Marine National Park in 2014, the national park has actively engaged in ecological conservation efforts. This has been achieved through marine recreation management, interdepartmental cooperation, infrastructure optimization, environmental education, and the promotion of marine schools, contributing to local development.
The Marine National Park Headquarters explained that in 2015, approximately 20,000 people visited the South Penghu Marine National Park. By last year (2023), the number of visitors had increased to 150,000. Through outsourcing cleanup efforts and community volunteer support, the Marine Headquarters cleared approximately 9,900 meters of coastline and removed about 119 metric tons of marine debris in 2023 alone. Despite the islands facing harsh northeast monsoon winds and a lack of rainfall, the Marine Headquarters collaborated with the county government and local communities to plant trees on Dongjiyu and Dongyupingyu, aiming to enhance windbreak and greening functions.
Furthermore, the Marine National Park Headquarters noted that in addition to assisting with local infrastructure, recent years have been the promotion of eco-tourism and empowerment programs. These initiatives help residents and youth transition into tour guides, snorkeling instructors, or recreation service staff, thereby increasing local employment opportunities.
The Marine Headquarters also announced that its documentary " Enduring space and time: the vitality of South Penghu Marine National Park " won the Gold Award in the Nature and Environment category at the 57th WorldFest-Houston this year. In collaboration with the county government, the Marine Headquarters held special screenings and conducted 23 school tour screenings at 17 schools across Penghu in March and April. Hope to instill marine conservation awareness into daily life through the power of education.