Suchergebnisse

This article provides a critical review of the important developments of the environmental laws and policies of the Republic of China on Taiwan since 1993. The article also supplements the author's 1990 and 1993 publications. Section II briefs the reader on background political and economic changes. Section III analyzes three new environmental statutes, including the Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 1994. Section IV investigates the problems encountered in some environmental initiatives, including the collection of air pollution control fees and the newly launched "four-in-one" recycling program. Section V summarizes important environmental decisions by the Administrative Court. Section VI suggests strategies for further progress, including changing the mode of legislation, making the administrative decision-making process accessible to the public, as well as reforming the judicial system.

This Article discusses the development of environmental regulation and preservation in Taiwan in light of United States environmental law. The Article begins with a discussion of how few measures have been enacted to protect the Taiwanese environment. It then illuminates some of the problems with the Taiwanese environmental regulations that do exist. According to the author, some of these problems include: ambiguous and conflicting goals enunciated in the legislation; political pressures on the authorities influencing environmental policies; poor enforcement mechanisms; a legislative bias in favor of regulating new sources of pollution and against enforcing regulations in the case of old sources; and little or no litigation over environmental laws. The author next points out the weaknesses in Taiwan's policy of selective enforcement and its ineffective use of economic instruments to control pollution. The author concludes this Article with some suggestions of how Taiwan could improve its environmental regulation efforts.

In August 1994, a systematic survey of potential haulout sites of the Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinerea,
was conducted along the coastline of the Great Australian Bight from Twin Rocks to Wilson Bluff, a
distance of 206 km. A total of 289 Australian sea lions was recorded at 23 sites widely dispersed at the base
of the Bunda Cliffs, hauled out on perched platforms formed by collapsed sections of cliff at various levels
above the sea. Of these, 37 sea lions were recorded in a deep cave accessed from the sea. The total included
86 pups aged under 12 months, which were probably born in the region; six of these had almost completed
moulting their natal pelage and were estimated to be near four months old. Only 12 New Zealand fur seals,
Arctocephalus forsteri, were recorded.
The Australian sea lion sites located in 1994 were surveyed again in August-September 1995, during a
predicted breeding season. In this survey, a total of 284 sea lions was recorded at nine sites in South
Australia and one site in Western Australia. This included 90 pups under six months of age, of which 44
were still in lanugo. Overall, we recorded 10 breeding sites and 14 haulout sites.
Breeding events were recorded at one colony over three seasons and were consistent with an 18-month
cycle. By extrapolating from the number of sea lion pups found in 1994, the population for the Great
Australian Bight region in South Australia is estimated to be 613-774. This addition increases the previous
estimate for South Australia by 9.3% and the previous total population estimate by 6.6%.

The South Neptune Island group is a well-known site for the New Zealand fur seal, Arctocephalus forsteri.
A survey of seals in South Australia and Western Australia in the 1989-90 summer indicated that colonies
on the South Neptunes and the adjacent North Neptunes group contained half of the breeding population in
Australia.
The abundance of pups at the South Neptune group was determined in four breeding seasons: 1969-70,
1988-89, 1989-90 and 1992-93. The population on Main Island increased at an exponential rate of
r = 0.053 (equivalent to 5.4% per annum) between the first two surveys: counts of pups increased from 487
to 1333, and the breeding area expanded to include several new colonies. Mark-recapture estimates of pup
numbers in the two largest colonies in 1989-90 and 1992-93 did not differ statistically. Rates of increase in
individual colonies over the 19 or 20 years from 1970 ranged from r = 0.031 (3.1%) to r = 0.256 (29.2%).
On the South Neptune Islands, the estimate of pup abundance in the most recent survey (1992-93) was
1916, on the basis of mark-recapture in most colonies and of counting in a few small ones.
On the North Neptune Islands, the estimate of pup abundance in 1992-93 was 2756, on the basis of
mark-recapture in most colonies. By applying a multiplier of 4.9 to convert pup numbers to an estimate of
abundance of the whole population, estimates of 9400 and 13500 fur seals were obtained for the South
Neptune and North Neptune Islands in 1992-93, respectively. These estimates provide a firm foundation
for comparisons in future years.

The extent of organochlorine pesticide contamination in 3 species of predatory birds from the central regions of South Australia was investigated. Residues in both eggs and tissue, as well as measurements of shell thickness, were obtained for Falco peregrinus (peregrine falcon), Pandion haliaetus (osprey) and Haliaeetus leucogaster (white-bellied sea eagle). Organochlorine residues in some prey species were also measured. Residues of DDE and DDT in the predatory birds were found to be low to moderate. Concn of total DDT were greatest in F. peregrinus (mean 1.82 mg/kg), followed by the H. leucogaster and P.haliaetus (mean 1.07 and 0.11 mg/kg, resp.). A comparison of F. peregrinus eggs collected before and after 1947 showed significant eggshell thinning (mean 16%). DDT residue levels of concern were recorded for several prey species commonly found in the diet of H. leucogaster and F. peregrinus, particularly in Columbia livia (feral pigeons) (37.46 mg/kg) and Larus novaehollandiae (silver gulls) (3.06 mg/kg). These concn were well above those known to cause reproductive failure in falcons. DDT was also found at high concn in eggs of Pelecanus conspicillatus (pelican) (mean 2.04 mg/kg). Dieldrin was present in most samples, but at low concn. The degree of pesticide contamination detected was considered sufficient to interfere with the reproduction of F. peregrinus in South Australia.

A survey to determine the distribution and abundance of New Zealand fur seals, Arctocephalus forsteri, in South Australia and Western Australia was conducted in January-March 1990. Minor surveys were conducted in the summers of 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1990-91. Although the surveys were primarily of black pups in breeding colonies, opportunity was taken to count fur seals of all age-classes, including those in non-breeding colonies. Pups were counted and, in more accessible and larger colonies, numbers of pups were estimated by a mark-recapture technique. The latter technique gave higher estimates than counting, and was considered more accurate. In South Australia, the seals extend from The Pages in Backstairs Passage to Nuyts Reef in the Great Australian Bight. In Western Australia, the range comprised islands on the south coast from the Recherche Archipelago to islands near Cape Leeuwin. There are 29 breeding localities; 13 are in South Australia and 16 in Western Australia. Eighteen of these have not been reported previously. The term ''breeding locality'' is used for aggregations of breeding colonies as well as for isolated breeding colonies. Estimates of the number of pups for the 1989-90 breeding season were 5636 in South Australia and 1429 in Western Australia. This leads to a population estimate of approximately 34600 seals in these two states (using a multiplier of 4.9). But such estimates of overall abundance must be treated cautiously as the multiplier incorporates estimates of population parameters not available for A. forsteri. Most of the population (77%) is in central South Australian waters (from Kangaroo Island to the southern end of Eyre Peninsula). With the estimate of 100 for a breeding colony in southern Tasmania, the population of New Zealand fur seals in Australia can be estimated at 34700. Historical aspects of some colonies are outlined and evidence for increases described. The largest breeding localities are at South Neptune Islands (1964 pups) and North Neptune Islands (1472). The combined Neptunes group accounts for 49% of the pup estimate for Australia. One-fifth of the pups are from colonies on Kangaroo Island and the nearby Casuarinas.