Indigenous Hunting Rifle Safety Training Courses to Begin in July; Legislator Chen Ying Secures Courses in Taitung

(Central News Agency reporter Lu Taicheng, Taitung County, 11th) Indigenous people must complete a safety use training course to possess self-made hunting rifles. The Indigenous Peoples Committee will hold 40 courses starting in July. Legislator Chen Ying coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense to provide shooting ranges and requested that the Indigenous Peoples Committee hold courses in Taitung County and evaluate setting up 'trace-free shooting ranges' in tribes.

The National Police Agency of the Ministry of the Interior announced the 'Regulations on the Permission and Management of Self-Made Hunting Rifles and Fishing Spearguns for Indigenous People and Fishermen' on March 15 last year. These regulations stipulate that indigenous people applying to manufacture, transport, or possess self-made hunting rifles must participate in and pass a safety use training course for self-made hunting rifles organized by the Indigenous Peoples Committee or its commissioned agencies or groups, and receive a certificate of qualification from the committee.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ying stated in a press release today that after the new system for indigenous hunting rifles took effect, indigenous hunters are legally required to complete the 'Indigenous Self-Made Hunting Rifle Safety Use Training Course' before applying for relevant qualifications. However, the slow progress of the course implementation has left many tribal members worried about their ability to obtain legal qualifications smoothly.

She stated that on June 4, she convened a coordination meeting with the Indigenous Peoples Committee and the Ministry of National Defense. The meeting confirmed that the Indigenous Peoples Committee plans to hold 40 training courses in the second half of the year, officially starting in July. She requested that course sessions be held in Taitung County to reduce the burden on tribal members who would otherwise have to travel across counties for training. She also requested assistance for local governments in applying for project plans and promoting course implementation to enhance local execution capacity.

Chen Ying stated that considering the current lack of legal shooting ranges in Taitung and Hualien counties, through her coordination, the Ministry of National Defense agreed to provide its shooting ranges during times outside the military's training schedule, as long as it does not affect national military training missions, for the Indigenous Peoples Committee to use for the courses. The Ministry of National Defense will also evaluate using the 'Taimali Field Shooting Range' for related training and will proactively assist the Indigenous Peoples Committee with subsequent borrowing and usage procedures, solving the problem of the lack of legal training venues in the eastern region.

Chen Ying stated that due to inconvenient transportation, a lack of legal shooting venues in the east, and the travel and time costs borne by tribal members, participating in training is very difficult. She requested that the Indigenous Peoples Committee further study the feasibility of setting up 'trace-free mobile shooting ranges' in tribes for conducting training courses. This involves a comprehensive review of relevant regulatory restrictions, safety management standards, venue conditions, and administrative procedures to establish a training model that meets safety requirements while also considering the needs of tribal members, serving as an important reference direction for the future expansion of safety use training for indigenous self-made hunting rifles.

Chen Ying stated that regarding the 40 training courses to be launched by the Indigenous Peoples Committee in July, in addition to ensuring the courses meet regulatory and safety requirements, she also requested that when the committee commissions the courses, it should strengthen cooperation mechanisms with local hunter associations to jointly plan and execute the training courses. Furthermore, instructors recommended by local hunter associations with relevant qualifications should be prioritized for hiring as lecturers, ensuring the course content balances professional training needs with the preservation of traditional hunting culture.

Chen Ying emphasized that the use of self-made hunting rifles by indigenous people for traditional hunting, in accordance with the law, is a crucial part of their cultural and livelihood rights. As the government promotes the new system, it must not only require legal management and safe use but also ensure that tribal members have sufficient and convenient opportunities for training. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150611