OAC Honors Marine Conservation Contributors; Minister Kuan Calls for Local Resource Support

Central News Agency (Kaohsiung, June 1) - June 1 marks World Coral Day. The Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) held the 'National Marine Environmental Management Assessment and Clean Sea Alliance Awards Ceremony' today to honor local governments, private organizations, and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to marine environmental management, pollution prevention, and marine debris removal in Taiwan. Minister Kuan Bi-ling attended the ceremony to encourage the awardees and thank them for their long-term commitment to marine environmental management, helping Taiwan's marine environment move toward a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future. Kuan stated that the ocean is the source of global life and that we should abandon human-centric 'pragmatism' in favor of an 'ocean perspective' to reflect on human behavior and fulfill our natural duty to protect the ocean with humility and reverence. Regarding the current tight conservation budget, Kuan expressed her intention to fight for more resources to address increasingly urgent environmental challenges. Facing the changes in the 'Fiscal Adjustment Act,' which will lead to a reduction of over NT$80 million in central government subsidies for local conservation next year, Kuan specifically called on local governments to continue investing in marine resources and enhancing local capabilities to jointly undertake the mission of protecting our blue home. The Ocean Conservation Administration noted that 19 coastal counties and cities in Taiwan are using cutting-edge technology to protect the ocean, such as Taichung City's 'Chemical Emergency Smart Joint Defense System' using AI, and New Taipei City's 'Air-Sea Integrated' cleaning model using drones and unmanned boats.