Lawmakers Form 'Mountains and Seas Sports Policy Caucus' to Push for Legal Reforms

(Central News Agency reporter Lin Jing-yin, Taipei, June 5) DPP lawmakers Chang Ya-lin, Huang Chieh, Chuang Jui-hsiung, and Wu Pei-yi today established the 'Legislative Yuan Mountains and Seas Sports Policy Caucus' at the Legislative Yuan. They hope to use the parliamentary platform to continuously promote regulations related to mountain and sea sports and improve related policies, allowing the public to get close to the mountains and oceans in a safer, more friendly, and sustainable environment.

To promote the development of mountain and sea sports policies, the Legislative Yuan Mountains and Seas Sports Policy Caucus, initiated by Chang Ya-lin, held its inaugural meeting at the Legislative Yuan this morning. Chang Ya-lin serves as the chairperson, with Chuang Jui-hsiung and Huang Chieh as vice-chairpersons.

Chang Ya-lin stated that in recent years, the population participating in mountain, sea, and outdoor sports has continued to grow. From an industry perspective, Taiwan still lacks comprehensive and independent production value and participation statistics for mountain and sea sports. The establishment of the Mountains and Seas Sports Policy Caucus aims to create a long-term discussion platform, promote a system more in line with the spirit of risk governance, and allow the public to participate in mountain and sea sports more safely.

Huang Chieh pointed out that after Taiwan's deregulation of mountain forests and opening of sea areas, the public has become increasingly close to the mountains and oceans. However, related management systems and regulations have not fully kept up with on-site needs. Mountains and seas are Taiwan's most precious natural assets. In the future, issues including collision avoidance regulations for people and boats, promotion of Leave No Trace, environmental carrying capacity of tourist hotspots, and safety management of water activities require continuous cross-ministerial and civil group discussions. The mountain and sea sports industry should receive support, while more complete safety management and environmental protection mechanisms are established.

Wu Pei-yi stated that after the establishment of the Ministry of Sports, although related plans for emerging sports like trail running and free diving have been proposed, cross-ministerial regulatory coordination and management mechanisms should be more proactive. Future policy formulation should incorporate opinions from front-line sports groups, coaches, and industry representatives to understand the actual regulatory obstacles and field needs. Through continuous communication with the public, policies can be made truly tangible and effective.

Chuang Jui-hsiung said that Taiwan has abundant mountain and ocean resources, but for the public to safely and friendly get close to nature, government regulations and resources must be in place simultaneously. In the future, the Mountains and Seas Sports Policy Caucus will serve as a regular dialogue platform for industry, government, academia, and front-line sports communities to jointly solve regulatory and industrial development issues. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) 1150605