Taiwan’s specifications pertaining to marine protected areas are currently distributed among different competent authority regulations. Each responsible agency plans and sets up different types of marine areas according to its governing laws. Each agency and area also has different protection targets, management objectives, and conservation methods. For example, wildlife conservation areas are for conserving species and diversity; national parks cover conservation, research, and education/leisure; fishery resource conservation areas are for conserving aquatic resources; and nature conservation areas are for preserving the original status of special geographical resources of natural areas. National scenic areas, on the other hand, are for developing tourism and the sustainable management of natural and cultural tourism resources.
In 2010, the competent authority for marine protected areas, the Fisheries Agency under the Council of Agriculture, defined marine protected areas based on IUCN as “areas extending from the average high tide line out towards the sea for a certain distance and possessing special natural landscape, important cultural heritage, or sustainable ecological resources that must be protected or managed according to the law or other effective methods.” The Fisheries Agency also recognized that Taiwan’s marine protected areas should be planned according to the “Fisheries Act,” “National Park Law,” “Wildlife Conservation Act,” “Cultural Heritage Preservation Act,” and the “Act for the Development of Tourism.” As of September 2020, there are 44 marine protected areas in Taiwan with an area of approximately 5303.97 km2 (after deducting an overlapping area of 3.88 km2), accounting for 8.23% of Taiwan’s offshore borders and domestic water area + Kinmen, Matsu, and Taiping Island’s restricted marine area of 64,473 km2 (data provided by the Ministry of the Interior). If converted based on Taipei City’s administrative area of 272 km2, Taiwan has a marine protected area of approximately 19.5 Taipei City in size. Of this area, national parks account for the biggest proportion at 82.86%, followed by marine wildlife conservation areas (including important habitat environments) at 14.44%, fishery resource conservation areas at 1.84%, national scenic areas at 0.82%, and nature conservation areas at 0.0002%. The areas are listed below:
1. One important wildlife habitat environment and five wildlife conservation areas established according to the “Wildlife Conservation Act” (originally under the jurisdiction of the Forestry Bureau, but now under the jurisdiction of the Ocean Conservation Administration)
The “Aichi Targets” adopted by 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) recommended that 10% of the coastal and marine areas be designated as protected areas before 2020 and put under effective management. The 2014 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development passed a series of sustainable development goals (SDGs), among which Goal 14 is to conserve and sustainably use ocean and marine resources to ensure sustainable development, and Goal 14.5 of the detailed items pledged to protect at least 10% of the coastal and marine areas before 2020, while obtaining the best scientific information, according to national and international laws.
In 2020, the proportion of global marine protected area is 7.44%, which is approximately 26,947,375 km2 in size. This includes 6.87% of the national jurisdiction area within the region (national waters) and 0.72% of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). National waters that accounts for 39% of global marine waters contain conservation areas of 24,329,222 km2 in size, which contribute to 17.23% of this water region, while ABNJ that accounts for 61% of global marine waters contain only 1.18% of designated protected areas (https://protectedplanet.net/marine). The OCA will continue to work towards the Aichi Targets.
Marine protected Areas Integration Platform