Taichung Port Reclamation Project Overlaps with Finless Porpoise Habitat, Environmental Groups Demand Halt

(CNA reporter Chang Hsiung-feng, Taipei, July 14) Environmental groups criticized the reclamation project at Taichung Port for overlapping with the vital habitat of the endangered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Chinese white dolphin), accusing it of circumventing environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures. Today, they submitted a citizen notice to the Ministry of Environment demanding the project be halted. The Ministry confirmed receipt and stated it will respond within 60 days as required by law.

The environmental groups delivered the citizen notice to the Ministry of Environment today, criticizing Taichung Port Branch and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications for jointly evading EIA requirements by defining the open sea area designated for the southern reclamation zone as being 'within existing breakwaters.' They urged the Ministry of Environment to order the port authority to cease reclamation activities immediately.

The Ministry of Environment accepted the notice and confirmed it will respond legally within 60 days. The groups emphasized that if no adequate response is received, they will proceed with a citizen lawsuit as permitted by law.

The Taiwan Wilderness Conservation Association pointed out that the Taichung Port expansion plan directly overlaps with the critical habitat of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. Reclamation will cause permanent and irreversible damage to the habitat. The disappearance of this species would not only be a tragedy for a single species but would also severely impact Taiwan’s coastal ecosystems and fisheries resources.

The Taiwan Wild at Heart Society explained that the reclamation area exceeds 50 hectares, which legally requires a more rigorous second-stage environmental impact assessment. However, Taichung Port Branch has claimed the area lies 'within the line of existing breakwaters' to avoid undergoing the EIA process.

The Changhua Environmental Protection Union added that the definition of 'within existing breakwaters' has changed between March and June this year. The description provided by Taichung Port Branch during a public hearing in March differs from the expanded scope defined in a letter from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to the Ministry of Environment in June. They criticized this as arbitrarily redrawing boundaries to evade EIA scrutiny.

The Supervision for Good Governance Alliance stated that the reclamation project is intended to receive up to 14 million cubic meters of construction waste from central Taiwan and 1.05 million cubic meters of recycled aggregate—massive volumes that are bypassing EIA review. They criticized the central government for designating protected areas on one hand, while simultaneously allowing destructive reclamation within those very zones. (Editor: Lee Heng-shan) 1150714

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