Marine theme parks pledge to end animal shows as stricter laws introduced

Marine theme parks pledge to end animal shows as stricter laws introduced

2024-08-26

It’s the end of the animal show involving dolphins and other cetaceans in Taiwan as we know it. New laws concerning animal performances are set to kick in 2026 and they will make it significantly harder for operators to hold releated activities. Two Taiwanese marine theme parks say they’ve been making adjustments to their business model, with one park saying it plans to turn its facilities into a center for education.

Visitors gather at the side of the pool to pet an adorable-looking dolphin during an educational activity at Farglory Ocean Park in Hualien. Kids and adults alike can get up close with the animals while learning about them.

In late July, the Ministry of Agriculture announced an amendment to regulations governing animal performances, which will come to an end in their current form starting 2026.

There are currently two marine animal theme parks in Taiwan, and both have been gradually moving to adapt to the new rules in recent years. Farglory Ocean Park plans to renovate its performance pool and feeding areas into a center for cetacean education. The park’s cetacean veterinary experts and keepers will work together with animal protection groups to set up a rescue center.

Yehliu Ocean World in New Taipei says it has already ceased its performances involving cetaceans, and is currently promoting educational activities for visitors. Park operators say they will do all they can to protect the marine animals and pay the role of educators and conservators.

Lin Dong-liang
Kuroshio Ocean Education Foundation
We were overjoyed when we heard the news. We think this truly aligns with the idea that animals aren’t for entertainment. It’s taking action on this cause.

Under the new regulations any individual or company hoping to hold a show involving animals must submit a detailed plan and all the relevant documents for government approval. Finding a balance between education and performance has become a key issue for companies in the industry.

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2026年禁鯨豚表演! 野柳.遠雄兩海洋公園承諾轉型

2024-08-26

自農業部7月底新版「動物展演管理辦法」後，目前仍有鯨豚展演的兩家海洋公園做出說明，強調他們的展演許可將在民國115年到期，目前正做展演轉型，保留教育性質的演示呈現給觀眾，取消非人性化的動物表演，讓海豚秀畫下句點。

民眾開心圍著大型水族箱，搶著摸裡面的可愛海豚。這是花蓮遠雄海洋公園的鯨豚展演活動，透過教育性質的展演，大小朋友們和動物互動、學習動物知識。

農業部在七月底公告「動物展演管理辦法」新版規範，預告著傳統動物表演即將在115年走入歷史。

目前尚有動物展演的兩家海洋公園，皆在近幾年積極做出轉型。花蓮遠雄海洋公園計畫將展演區及飼養空間規劃成鯨豚教育基地，園區內有合格且經驗豐富的鯨豚獸醫及保育員，將與動保團體合作成立救援基地。

野柳海洋世界則表示早已取消鯨豚表演，目前透過介紹動物知識去推廣遊客。業者都承諾會竭盡所能去保護這些海洋動物，擔負起教育及動保的責任。

[[黑潮文教基金會執行長林東良]]
“其實我們得知道這個消息的時候，是非常開心的，因為我們覺得這確實就是讓，動物不是娛樂這件事情的精神，可以真正地被落實”

「動物展演管理辦法」新版最主要的修訂是，如果要進行動物展演，必須先準備齊全的計畫及相關資料，向主管機關申請核發許可，才能進行合法展演。動物展演日漸轉型如何在娛樂與保育之中取得平衡，成了業者的重要課題。

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The Executive Yuan’s Bio Taiwan Committee meeting opened on Monday. The committee aims to combine Taiwan’s two major strengths — high technology and biotechnology — to create the next key industry for the nation. The event was attended by Quanta Computer Chairman Barry Lam, who said he’d throw his full support behind the project to boost Taiwan’s healthcare.

Barry Lam
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Premier Cho Jung-tai told us to put more effort into supporting this smart healthcare project. People often say we are focused on our goals, and I will persist until the end.

Quanta Computer Chairman Barry Lam attended the Executive Yuan’s Bio Taiwan Committee Conference, serving as the opening keynote speaker. He showcased the results of his years of involvement in the medical field, highlighting the achievements of their AI healthcare and caregiving platform.

Wu Cheng-wen
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One aspect is our high-tech industry, and the other is Taiwan’s medical standards, both of which are world renowned. The challenge is leveraging Taiwan’s high-tech capabilities to integrate with our medical system and biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Cho Jung-tai
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The industry needs to remind the government of what needs to be done. Every issue you raise will be addressed by Minister Without Portfolio Wu Cheng-wen, and with the support of our two other ministers, we will hit even more home runs together.

Premier Cho said that next year’s budget for technology development will be NT$146.6 billion, approximately 15% more than this year. He said he hopes for collaboration between government, industry, and academia to integrate AI with biomedicine and make smart healthcare Taiwan’s industrial cornerstone.

According to the latest Forbes rankings, Barry Lam’s net worth has reached US$12.1 billion, approximately NT$384.9 billion. Despite experiencing a stock market correction over the past three months, his wealth still increased by US$85 million, solidifying his position as Taiwan’s richest person. The AI wave has not only significantly boosted the assets of tech giants but also brought new opportunities to Taiwan.

J.W. Kuo
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AMD is not only setting up in Kaohsiung Asia New Bay area but also plans to establish a research and development center in Tainan. This is of importance for Taiwan’s AI industry.

AMD has confirmed plans to establish R&D centers in both Kaohsiung and Tainan. With NVIDIA also having similar plans, this wave of AI is could propel Taiwan’s industry to new heights.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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VP heads back to Tainan hometown for 2024 Creative Expo Taiwan

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Smart charging management system showcased at Meet Greater South Expo

The 4th Meet Greater South expo opened last Friday at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, with 30 innovative technological achievements on show. Among the exhibits was a smart charging management system developed by a startup company backed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Kaohsiung’s public transportation operators are collaborating in the charging system project, which is set to serve over 145 electric buses by the end of the year. It is hoped that the project will raise charging efficiency and reduce the number of charging stations.

The 2024 Meet Greater South expo has officially kicked off. Over the past three years, driven by dual transformations in digitalization and net-zero goals, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Industrial Technology Department has facilitated nearly NT$32 billion in increased industrial investment in south of Taiwan through its technology programs. The exhibition features 30 innovative technological achievements.

Chen Li-wei
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This time around, we’ve brought together nearly 15 tech groups to take part in the expo, as well as 15 startups. Over the past few years, we’ve been doing our utmost to invest in industries in Southern Taiwan, as well as in technology R&D.

One of the highlights is a smart charging management system developed by a startup company supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This system provides automated charging management 24 hours a day throughout the year, enhancing charging efficiency.

Chan Chia-wen
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By utilizing AIoT technology, we link vehicle data with dynamic scheduling, charging data from facilities, and environmental data to accurately predict the energy consumption of electric buses.

The smart charging management system is not only fully automated, energy-efficient, and capable of extending battery life, but importantly, it also allows for electricity usage at the facility to be coordinated with Taipower for power trading.

Chan Chia-wen
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At the facility, we can coordinate our electricity usage with Taipower for power trading. This not only saves energy but also allows us to receive incentives from Taipower. As a result, it further encourages operators to replace their diesel vehicles.

By using AI to accurately predict the energy consumption of electric vehicle fleets, the operator plans to install an additional five charging systems by the end of the year, serving over 145 electric buses and establishing Taiwan as a leader in technology.

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IVF twins celebrate university acceptance at birth hospital

Two sets of twins born via IVF are celebrating their acceptance to university this year. In each pair, one twin is attending medical school, while the other plans to become a teacher. They returned to the hospital they were born to celebrate the achievement and share their experiences growing up. They also hope to prove that IVF children are just as healthy and intelligent as any other.

Two pairs of twins return to the hospital where they were born. The superintendent gifts them golden pens to congratulate their acceptance into top universities.

This first pair are the Kao twins from Yunlin. They learned they were born from IVF during elementary school and developed an interest in reproductive medicine. Now they’ve both received top marks in the university entrance exam, and one plans to study reproductive medicine at NTU.

Kao Tzu-chiao
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Ever since learning about IVF in middle school biology class, I became interested in studying biology and science.

Thanks to their mother’s influence, her sister wants to become a teacher. She also got into the school she wanted: the National Taipei University of Education.

Another pair of twins from Taichung were also IVF babies. One tested into the National Taichung University of Education, while her sister is to study at Chung Shan Medical University. They say they’re grateful for the IVF technology that brought them into this world.

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To me, I believe that I may have come into this world in a slightly different way than most, but it’s still a beautiful thing.

The hospital superintendent says that Taiwan’s capabilities in IVF treatment are internationally recognized. Recent data have shown the many achievements of these IVF babies.

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We have a foundation that tracks the achievements of children born with IVF. They’ve displayed a slightly higher performance than their peers, showing that this technique not only produces children who are not only healthy, but also talented.

The twins’ parents also came to personally thank Dr. Lee Mao-sheng. Watching their children test into the schools of their dreams has turned the arduous process of IVF into the greatest joy of their lives.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Flag bearers for Paris Paralympics unveiled: Liu Ya-ting and Chen Po-yen

The opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics will take place in the early hours of Thursday, Taiwan time. The flag bearers for the Taiwanese team have been confirmed as Liu Ya-ting, a veteran javelin thrower and three-time Paralympian, and Chen Po-yen, a 17-year-old table tennis prodigy.

At the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics, Liu Ya-ting served as a flag bearer alongside long jumper Yang Chuan-hui. Three years later, at the Paris Paralympics, Liu Ya-ting has once again been honored with the role.

Liu Ya-ting
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It’s an honor. I’m a bit excited. Yes, this is my second time serving as a flag bearer, and I must say, I’m quite nervous.

At the Paris Paralympics, Liu Ya-ting’s flag bearer partner is 17-year-old table tennis player Chen Po-yen, who is also the youngest member of the Taiwanese delegation.

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He said “This time, it’s you and Ya-ting who will be the flag bearers.” I was told to keep it a secret.

The Taiwanese delegation arrived with the Paralympics just around the corner. The day after their arrival, went to the sports center rented by Taiwan’s Sports Administration to amp up their training.

Taekwondo athlete Hsiao Hsiang-wen is very satisfied with the training environment, since practicing at the athletes’ village venues could risk having opponents gather intelligence.

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For example, during training yesterday, we were with athletes from many countries, including our own opponents. This makes it easy for them to gather intelligence. So, having an off-site training facility allows us to train in a more private and controlled environment, where we can work on our more secret techniques.

Previous Taiwanese Olympic athletes also trained at this sports center, which produced Olympic gold medalists for France. It gives confidence to Hsiao, Taiwan’s first taekwondo practitioner to compete in the Paralympics.

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Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Unsorted recycling handled at AI sorting center

When you spend time to sort recycling, but it all gets crushed into a garbage truck, does that mean it was all for nothing? In New Taipei’s Luzhou District, some residents have complained that the sanitation workers don’t separate out recycling. They just toss everything into the truck to be crushed. But the workers said not to worry. It’s taken to the nation’s first smart recycling plant, where it’s sorted more efficiently with AI.

Bag after bag of recycling is taken from a recycling truck and dumped into a trash compactor without sorting by type, drawing sharp criticism.

Someone posted a photo questioning why the sanitation workers were crushing everything indiscriminately. Why work hard to sort recycling, then? Another guessed that it was all going to be incinerated. But it’s actually all a misunderstanding.

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Since the truck is yellow, people assume it’s for trash and think it’s all headed for the incinerator. But that’s not the case. They’re collection trucks that take the recycling to a sorting center, where it’s sorted using high-tech AI. Here in New Taipei, we’ve improved recycling efficiency.

This trash truck is actually labeled as a recycling collection truck. Its purpose is to condense large amounts of recycling by flattening it. Then it’s shuttled off to its next destination for sorting: the nation’s first AI recycling center.

Piles of recycling are mixed together and placed on a conveyer belt, where workers do a first round of sorting. After they remove large pieces of cardboard, it’s fed into an optical sorter that can pick out smaller paper materials. Then an AI-powered robotic arm does another round of sorting.

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Above we have two optical sorters that eject paper and plastic, which are the two most common types of recyclables. Then at the end we use a robotic arm and human sorters to do more precise sorting.

New Taipei’s AI recycling center is initially handling recycling from Luzhou, Xinzhuang, Sanchong, Tucheng and Shenkeng districts, where it’s enabled more efficient recycling. So next time you see a collection truck going about its business, know that everything is fine. There’s no need to make a complaint to the sanitation department!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Road renaming debate centers on removing controversial titles

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an proposed renaming a road in honor of two-time Olympic badminton gold medalists Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang. Previously, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen also suggested renaming a road in honor of Olympic judo silver medalist Yang Yung-wei, but Yang ultimately rejected the idea. In terms of roads named after people, the most common in Taiwan are Zhongzheng Road, named after Chiang Kai-shek, and Zhongshan Road, named after Sun Yat-sen. Almost every city in Taiwan has traces of authoritarian rule.

After judo athlete Yang Yung-wei won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games, Taichung’s government discussed renaming the road behind his family home “Yung-wei Road.”

Lu Shiow-yen (July 25, 2021)
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People suggested naming this road after Yang Yung-wei. It’s a good idea.

Yang Yung-wei (Sept. 30, 2023)
Olympic athlete
Roads belong to everybody. Personally, I like to keep more of a low profile, so I don’t think it’s necessary. I’m only an athlete. People don’t need that, so I think it’s OK.

In the end, Yang rejected the idea because he felt it would be strange to have a road named after him. But there are many roads in Taiwan named after people.

The most well-known are Zhongzheng Road and Zhongshan Road, which are named after Chiang Kai-shek and Sun Yat-sen respectively. When the Chinese Nationalist Party took over control of Taiwan in 1945, they named many roads after these party leaders. After the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall was completed, Yixian Road was also named after him.

Now more and more people are calling to change these road names, calling them relics of authoritarian rule. The most famous example is from 1996, when then-Taipei Mayor Chen Shui-bian renamed “Jieshou Road,” which commemorated Chiang Kai-shek’s 60th birthday, to “Ketagalan Boulevard.”

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For example, if I were a victim of political persecution, my address would refer to the same Chiang Kai-shek who approved my grandfather’s execution, signing the verdict with a red pen and effectively shooting him. I’d be living at this address, making the pain linger.

The Transitional Justice Commission conducted a survey on renaming Zhongzheng Road. Those against the change thought it would cost too much money and worried their property on these famous roads would lose value. The issue of road names has sparked debate on how to achieve transitional justice without upsetting the status quo.

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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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