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202411/22
The improved Green Iguana Removal Strategy has been announced! The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) invited local governments, academics, and civilian experts today (11/22) to understand the bottlenecks in the removal process. Together, they reached a consensus on several improvement measures expanding removal capacity, utilizing high-efficiency tools, and ensuring a continuous uninterrupted removal process. With support from the MOA, the FANCA will increase the budget to expand subsidies to local governments, and establish a dedicated green iguana removal team to collaborate with local communities and manage the necessary administrative coordination tasks. In addition, removal targets will be set, reviewed monthly, and publicly announced.
In addition to hearing back from local governments about the problems they encountered in removing the green iguanas, the meeting also focused on the recent feedback and opinions from society. This feedback highlighted several issues, including gaps between annual plans causing months-long inaction, unregulated zones at country and city borders, military camps and other restricted areas becoming havens for iguana populations, and the need for greater volunteer involvement in the process. Participants of the meeting agreed on the following strategies to improve the removal process and the key principles:
I. Actively utilize air guns and other regulation-compliant firearms and high-efficiency tools where no public security risks are present.
II. In cases where the local government has outsourced the removal of green iguanas, the local government should expand the manpower and the area of removal, or commission multiple professional teams to work together to increase the removal amount and the coverage rate.
III. For unregulated zones, military camps, and other prohibited areas, the FANCA will coordinate with relevant agencies and local governments for the removal.
IV. For outsourced removal projects, the Government Procurement Act should be referenced to add an expansion clause in the contract that can be extended across years, so that the removal work will not be interrupted due to the lack of convergence between the previous and upcoming year’s plans.
V. In addition to commissioning professional teams or operators, local governments are requested to open up the opportunity for individuals or organizations to receive training and be issued with identification cards to assist in the removal process.
VI. The FANCA will set up a separate green iguana removal team and will mobilize the local governments to assist in the removal process.
VII. Prioritize the removal of adult iguanas with reproductive ability (head-to-anal length of 30 centimeters or more) to effectively curb the expansion of the green iguana population.
VIII. The target number of green iguanas that should be removed nationwide and from all counties and cities should be set and reviewed, as well as publicly announced on a monthly basis.
IX. The invasion of green iguanas is caused by human mismanagement. To prevent even more severe environmental and industrial hazards, removal is critical. However, the public is reminded that green iguanas should not be stigmatized or inflicted with unnecessary pain during the removal process, and that the local and central governments will continue to advocate such principles.
After discussing the proposed unit price for green iguana removal, a national consensus was reached to set higher rates for professional contractors, reflecting the additional costs of carcass disposal. The rates are set at NT$500 per adult iguana (head-to-anal length of 30 centimeters or more) and NT$200 per iguana under 30 centimeters. Members of the public who complete the required training and participate in the removal process will receive rewards of NT$250 per adult iguana (head-to-anal length of 30 centimeters or more) and NT$100 per iguana under 30 centimeters. In addition to cash rewards, participants will also be offered gift certificates or agricultural products of equivalent value..
The FANCA specifically pointed out that it will follow the African Sacred Ibis model to form a removal team that will be actively involved with the counties and cities throughout Taiwan to assist in the removal of green iguanas. The central and local governments will work together with civil society to find the right methods. Through comprehensive and ongoing action, the population of green iguanas can certainly be managed efficiently without any delay.
The FANCA reminds the public to avoid privately keeping green iguanas to comply with the law, as the MOA has already issued a ban on their keeping and breeding. If you find any suspected cases of illegal breeding, please notify the FANCA by calling the citizen hotline at 1999 or the FANCA’s 24-hour hotline at 0800-000-930.