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202412/09
On November 22, 2024, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) invited relevant local governments to discuss and formulate an improved strategy regarding the removal of green iguanas, an invasive species. The MOA also further established a "Green Iguana Removal Response Team" on December 5 for the coordination of cross-agency division of labor. However, there is still much confusion among the general public as a lot of the information out there is not consistent with the facts. The following provides a special explanation and clarification:
I. The FANCA convened a meeting with local governments on November 22 to discuss an improved removal strategy for green iguanas. The focus was on eliminating existing blind spots to effectively control and remove green iguanas. The improved strategy includes increasing the number of removal teams and actively using high-efficiency tools such as firearms. Furthermore, removal operations cannot be interrupted by annual task handovers. To prevent removal teams from concentrating on counties and cities that offer higher removal fees, the FANCA coordinated a standardized removal fee across all counties and cities. Only the removal unit price for reproductive adult iguanas was slightly increased based on expert opinions, in order to more effectively curb the growth of green iguana populations. The other unit prices remain the same with no adjustments, and there is no so-called "big reward." (Press release of the FANCA on 11/22)
II. Regarding source control, the FANCA has already banned the importation of green iguanas since June 2015, blocking import as a source. Since September 2020, green iguanas have been further announced as a "non-native species that poses potential harm to the ecological environment of Taiwan," requiring existing owners to register their animals and further prohibiting breeding. Those who keep unregistered green iguanas or registered owners breeding them privately will be penalized in accordance with the Act on Wildlife Conservation.
III. In addition to the FANCA and local governments jointly strengthening removal operations, the MOA also established the Green Iguana Removal Response Team on December 5. In addition to the FANCA, the members also include other agricultural administration agencies and research units to focus on notification, removal, and monitoring. These include the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, the Irrigation Agency, the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, the Agriculture and Food Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Research and Extension Station. The Response Team enables the integration of all resources and clear division of labor according to professional responsibilities and jurisdictions, which in turn will improve the effectiveness of notification, monitoring, and removal of green iguanas.