202008/20
The Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, announced amendments to two regulations: "List of Terrestrial Wildlife Species Subject to Rearing and Breeding under the Wildlife Conservation Act" and "List of Non-native Terrestrial Wildlife that is Harmful to Ecological Environment as Well as Human and Animal Safety" on August 20th, 2020, which will come into effect on September 1st, 2020. Thirteen new native terrestrial species have been added and six native terrestrial species have been deleted from the List of Terrestrial Wildlife Species Subject to Rearing and Breeding under the Wildlife Conservation Act of Taiwan; of the non-native species list, there have been 72 additions and 13 removals of protected species. The green iguana (Iguana iguana) has been added to the List of Non-native Terrestrial Wildlife that is Harmful to Ecological Environment as Well as Human and Animal Safety, excluding variant individual animals. Members of the public rearing species on the announced lists before the effective date of this announcement should register with the government of the local municipalities and counties (cities) before November 30th, 2020. As for the marine wildlife species, the Ocean Affairs Council will announce a separate amended "List of Marine Wildlife Species Subject to Rearing and Breeding under the Wildlife Conservation Act".
The Forestry Bureau pointed out that a total of 19 native terrestrial wildlife species that are subject to rearing and breeding under the Wildlife Conservation Act were a part of this amendment. In addition to referring to the Protected Species Lists and conducting scientific and comprehensive assessments of indicators such as distribution of wild populations, adult population size, population trends, and endemism, the results of recent civic scientific monitoring surveys were also included as the basis for assessing the current status of the populations. On March 30th, 2020, after various wildlife expert committees considered the population monitoring data, threats faced, and commercial exploitation pressure, it was decided to revise and add the endangered species of yellow-margined box turtle to the List of Terrestrial Wildlife Species Subject to Rearing and Breeding under the Wildlife Conservation Act. Species including yellow-breasted bunting, Taiwan rosefinch, Alpine accentor, Steere's liocichla, white-eared sibia, collared bush robin, and Taiwan yuhina were also added to the list due to the great pressure of commercial exploitation; while species whose domestic populations are increasing steadily, such as Latham's snipe (Japanese snipe) and blue-breasted quail, have been deleted from the list.
For introduced species, the Forestry Bureau used the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as reference and adjusted the status of species in the appendices to comply with international conservation practices. The additions include the following species that are not easily bred in captivity and are often captured from the wild and passed off as captive-bred, and are highly threatened by commercial exploitation: Chinese crocodile lizard, pig-nosed turtle, Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle, and black-breasted leaf turtle; species deleted from the list include the two crocodile species of saltwater crocodile and false gharial.
In addition, the green iguana (Iguana iguana) has been added to the "List of Non-native Terrestrial Wildlife That Is Harmful to Ecological Environment as Well as Human and Animal Safety". The green iguana is native to Central and South America, and the species was introduced to Taiwan due to demand from the pet market, where it rapidly established populations in the wild due to the lack of natural predators and a suitable climate. The harm it has caused include agricultural losses, damages to roads, river embankments and other infrastructures, reducing the living space of native species, and affecting ecological balance. The cause for the green iguana invasion is mostly due to being abandoned as pets. In order to protect the domestic ecosystem, it has been announced that the rearing of this species must be registered and the breeding or abandonment of the animal is not allowed. After collecting the opinions from all sectors during the draft notice period, the Council of Agriculture invited scholars, experts, the Taiwan Amphibian and Reptile Association, and industry representatives to discuss the management of variant green iguanas, such as albino individuals. As the variant individuals are genetically weaker, less able to reproduce and survive in the wild, easier to capture, and less harmful to the environment, it was agreed to exclude the application to the variant individuals. The breeding and sale of the variant green iguanas (Iguana iguana), and the implantation of microchips for the registration of individual records are to be managed by the industry and the Taiwan Amphibian and Reptile Association independently.
The Forestry Bureau emphasized that relevant regulations of the Wildlife Conservation Act will apply for captive-bred individuals of species announced in the "List of Terrestrial Wildlife Species Subject to Rearing and Breeding under the Wildlife Conservation Act", and that permission for import, export, sale, and display should be obtained in accordance with the regulations. The species announced in the aforementioned List and the green iguana (excluding variants) announced under the "List of Non-native Terrestrial Wildlife That Is Harmful to Ecological Environment as Well as Human and Animal Safety" must be registered with the government of the local municipalities and counties (cities) within three months of the effective date of the announcement, i.e. before November 30th, 2020, in order to continue the rearing of the animal. Please also note that no further breeding is permitted except with the consent of the competent authority. If the animal is not registered or bred in violation of the regulations, a penalty of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 can be imposed and the animal can be confiscated.
＊ Documents required for registration:
1. Wildlife Registration Form (download website: Nature Conservation website of the Forestry Bureau https://conservation.forest.gov.tw/).
2. Identity document.
3. Clear and identifiable photos of the animal.
＊ Forestry Bureau website: https://www.forest.gov.tw/
＊ Announcement and Download: Nature Conservation website of the Forestry Bureau
https://conservation.forest.gov.tw/
Attachment 1: Announcement and Lists.
Attachment 2: List of New Species and Species Requiring Registration Added in the Announcement
Attachment 3: Contact List of Wildlife Conservation Departments of Municipalities and County (City) Governments.