A coastal cleanup and maintenance project approved by the Executive Yuan in May 2020 as part of the government’s efforts to prevent marine pollution has yielded impressive results.
The Ministry of Environment’s Environment Management Administration said that the plan assigned responsibility for specific sections of the country’s 1,990-kilometer coastline to central and local governmental agencies. The EMA added that a total of 277,000 metric tons of waste have been removed by central and local governments from 2020 to 2024.
Reduction and recycling have also been major parts of the coastal cleaning project, the EMA noted. The MOENV and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Water Resources Agency cooperated to eliminate 45,000 tons of upstream river waste before it could become a problem at the coast.
The EMA added that the Ocean Affairs Council has promoted the reuse of abandoned fishing gear and plastic foam, resulting in the reclamation of 855 tons of material. The MOENV has run campaigns to reduce the use of plastic at markets and minimize the use of disposable eating utensils at schools and governmental agencies.
Civil groups held 57,080 coastal cleaning events from 2020 to 2024, clearing 15,197 tons of marine waste, the EMA said.
As the project continues, transparency remains a vital component, and the MOENV will review status on a quarterly basis and report results to relevant agencies. The ministry is committed to continuous implementation of shoreline cleanup and conservation to ensure sustainable development of the marine environment.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
