SPEARFISHING BAN WITHIN 12 MILES OFFSHORE|保護珊瑚礁魚類 12海浬內禁用魚槍射魚

The Fisheries Agency will promulgate the draft of "Restrictions on Spearfishing for Underwater Animals in the Controled Areas" in April, with an aim to protect coral reef fish from being shot by fishermen within 12 nautical miles offshore. However, those fishermen with legal fishing spearguns said that it was the fishing net, not the fishing spearguns, that should be responsible for damaging the coral reef ecology. They called upon the Council of Agriculture to draw on the experience of other countries, and to protect the rights of fishermen who possess spearguns legally. In March, the Fisheries Agency issued draft restrictions on 'Areas of Underwater Animals Spearfishing'. According to the new regulations, spearfishing areas are to be moved further away from the shore and will be prohibited within 12 nautical miles offshore. No fisherman will be allowed to spearfish from boats. Fishermen from Taitung said, this regulation is unreasonable because the distance from Taitung to Green Island is only 18 nautical miles, which means that restricted areas overlap, and they would need to swim 30 nautical miles from shore to spearfish legally. ==PENG CHIA-SHENG Taitung Fisherman== It took a lot of effort to apply for spearfishing permits and now the government now is taking them away. It's unreasonable. ==SHIH CHUN-I Fisheries Regulation Div. Chief, FA, COA== Marine resources are scarcer than before. We are face depletion of resources and need to reinforce our management. The main reason that the Fisheries Agency wants to regulate fishing spears and guns is to protect offshore coral reef fish. However, fishermen believe that to conserve fish stocks, the FA should legally ban the use of fishing nets with smaller mesh, not fishing spears and guns. Some experts also advise that for the benefit of fishermen and conservation of the ecosystem, the FA needs to learn from other countries' regulations on spearfishing, and investigate and designate where there is a need to protect of fishing resources before putting the new rule in effect. ==TSAI CHENG-LIANG Assistant Professor, Taitung University== According to investigation where there needs eco conservation and for how long, government is then able to make decision on open the sea area or not. Then we can call it a real management. The draft of "Restrictions on Areas of Underwater Animals Spearfishing" is now publicized and will go to Legislative Yuan for review on May 15 if there is no objection. TRANSLATED BY：EMA FU 漁業署這個月預告制定「魚槍採捕水產動物禁漁區管制措施」草案，管制持有合法魚槍漁民，不得在12海浬內的海域下海射魚，主要是保護珊瑚礁魚類。但持有合法魚槍的漁民認為，真正破壞珊瑚礁魚類生態的是魚網不是魚槍，呼籲農委會要再仔細參考國外的經驗，保障持有合法魚槍漁民的權益。 ─ns─ 漁業署要制定的「魚槍採捕水產動物禁漁區管制措施」草案，其中對魚槍使用範圍加嚴，規定在12海浬以外才可以使用，而且不能搭漁船出海，台東的漁民說，台東距離綠島18海浬，這樣管制的範圍重疊，根本是叫漁民要游到30海浬外才能使用合法魚槍打魚，很不合理。 ==台東漁民 彭佳聖== 把魚槍辛苦申請來的 又要收回去 這是非常不合理的 == 聲音來源 漁業署漁政組長 施俊毅== 海域的資源 沒有像以前那麼好了 我們現在面臨資源枯竭的狀況 所以我們資源就要加強來管理 漁業署限制魚槍使用，主要考量是保護近海珊瑚礁魚類的生存，但漁民認為，漁業資源枯竭應該是立法禁止使用網目小的魚網才對、不是魚槍。學者也認為，漁業署應該先參考國際其他國家對魚槍的管理，並且調查畫定國內需要漁業資源保護的地區，再來限制使用魚槍捕魚，才是真正兼顧保障漁民和生態保育的漁業管理辦法。 ==台東大學助理教授 蔡政良== 哪一個區域是屬於生態保育區 至少要保育多久 這段期間內不行 視這個生態調查 以後再決定是不是要開放 這才真正的管理 漁業署制定的「魚槍採捕水產動物禁漁區管制措施」草案，目前還在公告徵求各界意見，5月15號就會送立法院審查。 記者 章明哲 台東報導