Groups Decry Lack of Candidate Interest in Algal Reefs|環團救大潭藻礁 籲立委候選人簽承諾書

Environmental groups recently asked legislative candidates to sign a pledge committing to save Datan's algal reefs to assess their positions on the environment. The groups also said the Democratic Progressive Party facilitated the passing of the environmental impact assessment for CPC Corporation's third liquefied natural gas terminal, and therefore they urged voters to vote accordingly in the legislative elections.


Environmental groups recently held their 95th press conference on saving Datan's algal reefs. They recently asked legislative candidates to sign a pledge committing to save the algal reefs, which have a world natural heritage value. They received no response from the legislator-at-large nominees from the Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, People First Party, New Party, and Taiwan People's Party. Only the New Power Party district and at-large candidates signed the pledge.

It's obvious that the (legislator-at-large candidates of) large parties are not interested, and the ruling party even less. The largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, did not respond at all.

The upcoming presidential and legislative elections have been characterized by a sense of "vanquished nation." Environmental groups pointed out the Democratic Progressive Party did everything it could to help CPC Corporation's third liquefied natural gas terminal pass its environmental impact assessment, ignoring the effects it would have on algal reefs. They said the DPP should not sacrifice the environment while clamoring for sovereignty, and therefore urged voters to split their votes to save algal reefs.

The Democratic Progressive Party's actions regarding the environment are all telling you something to your face and then turning around and stabbing you in the back. We believe voters should not give their political party votes to a political party like this. Instead, they should give smaller parties with ideas a chance to check and balance the DPP's one-party dominance in the legislature.

Taiwan's sovereignty is very important. However, if we are able to uphold our sovereignty but don't have a good environment or rich ecosystem, it will be extremely difficult for Taiwan and its people to survive.

Environmental groups also expressed their disappointment with their former ally, Green Party Taiwan. The party revised sections of the pledge before signing it, and the groups believe these changes go against the original intent and therefore they do not accept them.



舉行搶救大潭藻礁的第95場記者會，環保團體選前發送「搶救大潭藻礁承諾書」，呼籲立委候選人簽署，一起共同保育有「世界自然遺產價值」的大潭藻礁，不過此次國民親新、民眾黨不分區立委候選人，皆未回應，只有時代力量區域與不分區候選人全數簽署。

搶救大潭藻礁行動聯盟召集人 潘忠政表示：「很明顯大黨(不分區)比較沒興趣，執政黨不用說，我們覺得最大黨的、反對黨的國民黨，也完全都是掛零。」

此次總統立委大選，瀰漫亡國感氛圍，但環團特別指出，執政黨在全面執政下，全力護航第三天然氣接收站過關，漠視藻礁保育，認為不能堅持主權而犧牲環境，因此喊出「分裂投票搶救藻礁」的口號。

環境法律人協會理事長 張譽尹表示：「民進黨在環保議題上面，都是人前說一套背後捅一刀，我們認為在政黨票的部分，我們就不應該投給這樣子的政黨，反而是要讓一些，其他有理念的小黨可以起來，在國會當中制衡民進黨的一黨獨大。」

地球公民基金會副執行長 蔡中岳表示：「雖然台灣主權很重要，可是如果台灣主權守住了，但是沒有一個好的環境，沒有豐富的生態系的話，那台灣要繼續生活下去，人民要繼續生活下去是很困難的。」

環團也特別表達對於昔日夥伴「綠黨」的遺憾之情，這次發送給綠黨的承諾書，遭到修正文字，環團認為與原意違背，因此儘管綠黨候選人也簽署，但環團不予承認。