The protection of marine wildlife, such as cetaceans or sea turtles, is the responsibility of government agencies. To improve the division of labor mechanism for participating units and to conserve, rehabilitate, and research protected wildlife, the Ocean Conservation Administration has guided the establishment of the Marine Animal Rescue Network (MARN) by combining experts and groups that rescue protected marine wildlife. MARN is Taiwan’s comprehensive protected marine wildlife rescue mechanism. The organization also preserves related scientific specimen as an important foundation for setting up the National Maine Life Specimen Collection Center in the future.

Not only are MARN members comprised of the central competent authority for marine wildlife conservation (Ocean Conservation Administration) and local competent authorities (county and city governments), but are also divided into the site rescue unit (responsible for receiving reports, on-site reporting, situation assessment and rescue, etc.), forensic analysis unit (responsible for safekeeping specimen, pathological dissection, forensic analysis, etc.), care and shelter unit (responsible for medical care, temporary shelter, long-term shelter, wild release, etc.), and education advocacy group (responsible for media news release, responses, and education and training, etc.) based on different mission characteristics.

If the public discovers beached or hurt marine protected wildlife that needs rescuing, please notify the local government, the Ocean Conservation Administration, or call the Coast Guard Administration’s 118 reporting hotline. MARN members will respond as soon as possible.