Visitors observe the intertidal ecology at a Keelung City coast in this undated photo. Photo courtesy of Keelung City Government March 31, 2024
Taipei, March 31 (CNA) Additional capacity limits and visiting time restrictions will be imposed on visitors to the coastal conservation area near Chaojing Park in Keelung starting April 1, the city government said Sunday.
Under the new regulations, only a limited number of people will be allowed to visit specific areas during permitted visiting hours after applying in advance to better maintain the balance between environmental preservation and recreation, it said in a statement.
Apart from the existing "core region" of the conservation area, which extends just north and south of the park and roughly 200 meters into the sea, an additional "sustainable use region" will expand the conservation area to cover about 186,000 square meters, the city said.
The core region is separated into intertidal and oceanic regions, both of which will be open from April 1 to Oct. 31 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The intertidal region will have a maximum capacity of 200 visitors a day, who must be led by government-certified guides.
The oceanic region will allow a maximum 200 visitors on weekdays and 400 on weekends. Divers need to be certified and obtain a permit from the city government.
Any attempt to harvest flora or fauna in the core region is prohibited, the statement said.
In the sustainable use region, only people whose households are registered in Keelung City and members of the Keelung District Fisheries Association will be eligible to apply to harvest economic seaweed by hand.
The applications must be submitted to the association before Oct. 31 to take part in such activities the following year, the city said.
After the area was designated as a natural conservation area in 2016, local agencies and residents helped with patrols, ecological investigations, habitat restoration and beach cleanups, making it a well-preserved area, the city said.
As seaside activities became more popular, the area saw visitors trampling on the intertidal zone, and divers accidentally disrupting natural habitats or trespassing into fishing routes, posing danger to themselves as well as local fisheries.
It was because of those issues that the city established the new restrictions.
People who violate the restrictions will be subject to a fine between NT$30,000 (US$938.11) and NT$150,000, in accordance with the Fisheries Act, the city said.
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