國際動保團體共同呼籲--停止引進新鯨鯊
中譯本
親愛的部長
僅代表信末署名之組織，傳達我們共同聲援”關懷生命協會”反對引進新的鯨鯊進入國立海洋生物博物館的立場。就我們所知，目前海生館內的鯨鯊因成長到了相當巨大的體型而被考慮野放；我們支持野放原有鯨鯊，但同時懇求貴國政府不要准許引進任何新的鯨鯊來取代原有的鯨鯊。
2008年中華民國政府通過禁止於台灣所屬海域內捕殺及留置鯨鯊的法令、展現了絕佳的領導風範。有鑒於目前全球鯨鯊保育仍有加強的空間，中華民國政府一旦破例允許引進鯨鯊進行公眾展示，無飭推翻了過去致力保育的立場，我們認為此事件將讓 貴國成為眾人眼中、一個無法持續貫徹公權力與立場的政權。
如您所知，目前全世界都還沒有任何人工飼育鯨鯊成功的例子。鯨鯊所面對的風險不僅只在於這樣的巨型迴游生物極度不適合生活在侷促的人工環境中；一旦被人工圈養後，日後若需被流放，鯨鯊將面臨更大的存活風險。看到中華民國政府容許持續不斷的捕捉圈養、野放、再補進新鯨鯊，剝奪鯨鯊存活機會，只為了讓海生館能展示鯨鯊以持續營利，我們深感痛心。我們在此嚴正呼籲，希望部長能鼓勵海生館以多媒體技術來取代活體展示，透過科技幫助參觀民眾更全面的了解鯨鯊在自然界中的真實面貌、習性、迴游方式、牠們的生存危機與目前 貴國的鯨鯊保育政策。我們深信，無論海生館從被圈養的鯨鯊上蒐集到多少”資料”，這樣單一個體的觀察結果，對全球鯨鯊保育的貢獻是十分淺薄且不具學術參考價值的。相反的，我們引頸期待台灣能儘快展開”鯨鯊衛星標識、流放觀察”的研究，此一萬眾矚目的科學研究，將能有效提供全球鯨鯊保育界持續且深具意義的科學資料。
Rebecca Chen
Wildlife 21 International
聯名支持:
Marine Conservation Society of the Seychelles: David Rowatt
Shark Savers: Chen Yue-Chia (Sue Chen), 鄭皓Eric Cheng, Michael Skoletsky
GSM – Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals:Petra Deimer
Born Free Foundation:Will Travers
WildAid:Peter Knights
Co-Habitat:Susie Watts
International Fund for Animal Welfare:Ralf Sonntag
副本函送:
行政院農委會 副主委 胡興華
漁業署 署長 沙志一
國立海洋生物博物館 館長 王維賢
原文
The Hon. Dr Wu-Hsiung Chen
Minister, Council of Agriculture
37 Nanhai Road
Taipei
Taiwan 10014
14th March 2011
Dear Minister
We, the undersigned organisations, would like to express our support for the Life Conservationist Association of Taiwan in its opposition to the capture and display of another whale shark at the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium.
We understand that the whale shark currently in captivity in that facility has now grown to such a size that it is being considered for release. We support this move, but we would entreat your government not to permit the replacement of this individual with more newly-captured animals.
Taiwan showed exemplary leadership in its 2008 law banning the killing and landing of whale sharks in Taiwan’s waters, as well as the sale of whale shark meat. Given the precarious global conservation status of whale sharks, we feel that it would be inconsistent if your Ministry were to grant permission for more whale sharks to be caught for public display.
As you are aware, the global record for maintaining whale sharks healthily in captivity is woeful. Not only is it highly inappropriate and risky to try to keep such a large, migratory animal in captivity, but there is also a risk attached to the release of such animals. It would be very sad to see Taiwan caught in a cycle of constantly catching and releasing a succession of whale sharks, some of which are almost certain to die, simply in order for the facility to make money. We would urge you, instead, to encourage the aquarium to develop a multi-media display that would help to educate visitors about the whale sharks’ life-history characteristics, migratory behaviour, ecology and conservation status, as well as the threats that they face.
We feel strongly that whatever “data” the facility may have gathered, it will not be of much importance to the international whale shark conservation community, since it will apply only to one individual in a totally artificial setting. Taiwan’s plan to tag and release more whale sharks, on the other hand, is to be applauded, and will, we believe, provide far more significant and meaningful data.
Yours respectfully,
Rebecca Chen
Wildlife 21
With the support of:
David Rowatt
Marine Conservation Society of the Seychelles
Chen Yue-Chia (Sue Chen)
鄭皓 Eric Cheng
Michael Skoletsky
Shark Savers
Petra Deimer
GSM – Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals
Will Travers
Born Free Foundation
Peter Knights
WildAid
Susie Watts
Co-Habitat
Ralf Sonntag
International Fund for Animal Welfare
cc :
Sing-Hwa Hu
Deputy Minister
Council of Agriculture
James Sha
Director-General
Fisheries Agency
Council of Agriculture
Wang Wei-Hsien
Director
National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium.