Conservation of biological diversity had a late start in Taiwan. However, various actions in natural conservation, which are also relevant to biodiversity conservation, have been going on for over 10 years and have achieved successful results. Nevertheless, efforts to maintain biodiversity are comparatively fragmented and most concentrate on conventional wildlife preservation techniques or place an emphasis on data surveys within individual protected areas and rehabilitation of several endangered species.

　　So as to promote biodiversity conservation work in Taiwan and inspire consensus and citizen action, the year 2000 was designated as the Year of Biodiversity Conservation. All governmental departments, academics and experts worked in unison to integrate ideas from all fields and formulate a concrete and feasible Biodiversity Action Plan. This plan works to protect local biodiversity, maintain balanced ecosystems, hasten the establishment of various protected areas, and protect endemic species and quality habitat in Taiwan.

Taiwan is mostly comprised of mountains, and low-lying flat areas only occupy around 30% of the island’s total area, mostly distributed around the Central Mountain Range. These flat areas are regions of dense population and flourishing industries and this is where most human activity is located. Since ancient times, people have relied on mountain areas for necessities such as forest products, medicine, water, and clean air. High mountains also act as a buffer against natural disasters such as typhoons, thereby decreasing the level of damage incurred.

Population growth and inappropriate industrial development has led to the deforestation of Taiwan’s high mountains. This greatly decreases the mountains’ water storage capacity, and leaves mountains prone to flash flooding and intense erosion with just one heavy downpour, ultimately resulting in huge environmental disasters. During the National Land and Water Resources Conference, environmental conservation scholars and experts agreed that the concept of a ‘Central Mountain Green Corridor’ should be established. Such an area would link together high mountain forests, forest reserves and national parks along the Central Mountain Range, forming one continuous green corridor to protect this life-sustaining heart of Taiwan. The steep gradient of the Central Mountain Range makes this area unsuitable for economic activities, which is fortunate as this region supports a profusion of creatures and is a source of creation. Protected areas on this north-south axis cover a total of 630,000 hectares, or 18.5% of the island – far greater than the global average of 3% or the U.S. average of 9% of land area.

Unique ecosystems and areas rich in flora and fauna have been designated into various types of protected areas to effectively conserve Taiwan’s precious biological resources. Up to now, the Council of Agriculture has created 19 nature reserves under the Cultural Heritage Conservation Law; 14 wildlife refuges and 28 major wildlife habitats. under the Wildlife Conservation Law; and 9 forest reserves under the Taiwan Forest Management Plan. The current extent of protected areas covers 19.5% of Taiwan. It is hoped that in the future this will be extended to include 300 km of an interlinked ‘Central Mountain Ecological Corridor’, with the aim of fully implementing habitat conservation efforts.

Upon implementation of the Wildlife Conservation Law, it was apparent that local governments were not equipped with departments, personnel or budgets to handle the specific tasks involved with wildlife conservation. In response to this need and in order to fully execute this new act, the Council of Agriculture annually subsidizes local governments to assist with wildlife conservation tasks and allocates planning expenses for local governments to carry out and advocate Wildlife Conservation Law regulations. Currently, 10 county governments have established special agencies to carry out conservation tasks. The Council of Agriculture recruited police department staff to establish a ‘Wildlife Protection Unit’, which bolsters the effectiveness of laws concerning violations of the Wildlife Conservation Law. The integration of government investigation efforts discoloring laws on all levels has helped to reinforce investigative work, and a total of 83 cases involving illegal hunting and smuggling were uncovered in 2001, effectively discouraging further violations from happening.

The Council of Agriculture coordinates with the Government Information Office and the Ministry of Education to create junior high and elementary school educational materials that promote conservation work. Such materials help to effectively implement education across the board regarding wildlife conservation concepts.

In addition to holding workshops and promotional activities for farmers, teachers, students, administrative personnel, legal officers, police, and the public, other activities held include an international birdwatching fair, a “Seeing off the Black-faced Spoonbills” event, lagoon eco-tours, nature photography exhibitions, elections of County Birds, butterfly watching activities, and focused seminars. Articles, posters, pamphlets, photos and other media are created to complement each activity and are provided for reference and promotional purposes.

The COA also holds international and national forums including the ‘21st Century International Forum on Biodiversity Conservation’, the ‘2000 Forum on the Perspectives of Biodiversity Conservation in Taiwan’, ‘New Era of Agriculture: Managing the Usage of Biological Resources and Biodiversity’, and the ‘Forum on Biodiversity and Taiwan Aboriginal Development’. Prominent International Conservation advocates are invited to Taiwan for a sharing of international experiences, and local speakers are also asked to speak as well. With an aim to strengthen natural resource management systems, Taiwan is putting full effort into promoting biological resource surveys, understanding Taiwan’s current biological resources, employing wise management concepts and attaining biodiversity conservation objectives.

　　Although not a signatory nation to Conservation-related conventions, Taiwan is a member of the global village and recognizes responsibility in the realm of international conservation. Taiwan has sent delegates to attend over 20 major international conservation conventions or conferences such as the IUCN, the Washington Convention, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. This has helped Taiwan gain an understanding of international trends in nature conservation. From 1995 to July 2000, Taiwan has cosponsored 64 international conservation projects including various projects to promote conservation, anti-poaching plans in Africa, black-faced spoonbill conservation research projects in Asia, tiger conservation workshops in Thailand and Nepal, reintroduction of scimitar horned oryx in Senegal, and implementation of CITES. It is hoped that these actions strengthen Taiwan’s cooperation within the international arena to promote conservation work.