Background

In early 1992, a brutal leisure game known as Fish Hooking began prevailing around Taiwan, meaning that live fish in a captive pond are hooked without bait, then getting injured or even dead.  In order to eradicate the so-called culture of sport, Master SHIH, CHAO-HWEI（釋昭慧）, the Founding President of the Association, invited many experts  to initiate an "Anti-Fish-Hooking Movement" supported by all walks of lives. Due to the mass movement's efforts, the former Premier of the Executive Yuan began mobilizing different levels of government to stop fish hooking. 

   However, through the lens of the conflict among Taiwanese people, many participants in the movement were deeply convinced that many people in Taiwan still disrespected all lives, and ultimately, would even take their deaths for granted.  For an overall improvement of animal protection in Taiwan, Life Conservationist Association(LCA) was founded in January 1993, and since then has expressed the notion of "Animal protection and care for life".

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcatwn

Objectives 

   Life Conservationist Association (LCA)'s mission is to promote animal rights, strive for animal welfare, conserve wildlife and maintain ecological balance. LCA strongly believe that all living creatures are created equal; with this, we aim to protect animals from captivity, abuse, abandonment, or slaughter through the promotion of legislation and education. Our movement is to establish basic rights to live and respect for every animal.

Why do we promote animal rights?

   Human beings and animals share the world where none could survive on their own. However, for centuries, animals have been seen as objects that are insentient and unable to vote. In order to revolutionize the way animals are treated and seen as, we have spread the belief, "Caring For Animals Is The First Step To Caring For Lives", promoted a series of education activities, guided the public to understand animals are equal to human beings.  In doing so, we believe the entire human community would be rooted deeply in social morality, and then turn towards a brand new world where human beings and animals are liberated.      

Our improvement goals for different kinds of animals

• Companion Animals: to educate families on how to properly care for their pets.
• Stray Animals: to promote no slaughter at animal shelters and find them loving homes.
• Wild Animals: to advocate refusal to eat, to buy, and to feed; as well as no trading or killing.
• Farm Animals: to improve animal welfare and urge rejection to eat meat produced cruelly.
• Experimental Animals: to save them from unnecessary deaths and harm.

Strategies

• Start a strategic alliance with organizations and like-minded individuals to attain the short-, medium-, long-term objectives.
• Provide suggestions toward incumbents of all levels of governments and the Opposition leader to exert influence over policy.
• Unite with central parliament and civil societies to motivate central government by initiative, campaign, lobby, and demonstration for better progression.
• Work with local legislative delegations, civil societies, and citizens to supervise local government on animal protection, showing respect for life and animal welfare, by evaluation and initiative.
• Promote ideals and actions for all citizens to establish a real civil society.

Specific working policies

1. Wild animals:
(1) To supervise the implementation of wild animals conservation laws.
(2) To endeavor for the preservation and protection of wild animals habitat.
(3) Educational and promotional activities on "No Business Transaction, No Killing", and "Refuse to Eat, Refuse to Buy, and Refuse to Adopt" for wild animals.

2. Economic animals
(1) To supervise the implementation of animals protection laws.
(2) To intensify the improvement on farm animals welfare.
(3) To appeal to the consumers to change their dietary habit such as to consume less meat or vegetarian meals.

3. Companion animals
(1) To promote the "Three No" policies of "No abandonment, No Torture, and No Killing of the Companion Animals".
(2) The objection of Euthanasia and the promotion of the "Three Breeding" policies of "Adopting, Hospice and Appropriate Care of the stray animals.

4. Experimental animals
(1) To encourage digital dissection program to replace live animals experiments.
(2) To lobby proper legislation to ban insignificant and brutal animal experiments.
(3) To press the experimental animal ethical committee to leverage their supervisory duties.

5. Education and promotion
(1) Publication of the annual Animals' Voice of Taiwan.
(2) Publications of books, video tapes, cards, manuals and posters.
(3) Construction of the website with regular electronic newspaper.
(4) Delivery public speeches at schools and teachers' seminar. Assisting teachers and students to establish animal protection communities.
(5) To conduct seminar and training camps.

Presidents of LCA (1993- )

●1993~1996：Master SHIH, CHAO-HWEI（釋昭慧）
resume：Dean of the Academy of Social Sciences of Hsuan Chuang University（玄奘大學社會科學院院長）

●1996~1999：Master SHIH, CHAO-HWEI（釋昭慧）
resume：Dean of the Academy of Social Sciences of Hsuan Chuang University（玄奘大學社會科學院院長）

●1999~2002：Master SHIH, SING-KUANG（釋性廣）
resume：Dean of Buddhist HongShi College（佛教弘誓學院院長）、principal of FaJie Publishing house（法界出版社負責人）

●2002~2005：Master SHIH, SING-KUANG（釋性廣）
resume：Dean of Buddhist HongShi College（佛教弘誓學院院長）、principal of FaJie Publishing house（法界出版社負責人）

●2005~2008：Master SHIH, CHUAN-DAO（釋傳道）
resume：Chairman of Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia Foundation（中華佛教百科文獻基金會董事長）、Abbot of Miaoxin Temple, Tainan（台南妙心寺住持）

●2008~2011：Master SHIH, CHUAN-DAO（釋傳道）
resume：Chairman of Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia Foundation（中華佛教百科文獻基金會董事長）、Abbot of MiaoXin Temple, Tainan（台南妙心寺住持）

●2011~2014：Master SHIH, JIAN-AN（釋見岸）
resume：Abbot of FaYin Lecture Hall（法印講堂住持）、Director of Promotion of Buddhist HongShi College（佛教弘誓學院推廣部主任）

●2014~2017：Master SHIH,JIAN-AN（釋見岸）
resume：Abbot of FaYin Lecture Hall（法印講堂住持）、Director of Promotion of Buddhist HongShi College（佛教弘誓學院推廣部主任）

●2017~2020：CHANG, CHANG-TER（張章得）
resume：Director of HongShi Buddhist Cultural and Educational Foundation（弘誓文教基金會董事）、Former President of Rotary Club of Yanping Taipei（台北延平扶輪社前社長）

●2020~2023：CHANG, CHANG-TER（張章得）
resume：Director of HongShi Buddhist Cultural and Educational Foundation（弘誓文教基金會董事）、Former President of Rotary Club of Yanping Taipei（台北延平扶輪社前社長）

●2023~2026：WU, CHUANG-HSIEN（吳宗憲）

resume：Professor of Department of Public Administration and Management, National University of Tainan（國立臺南大學行政管理學系教授）

Practices and Results：since 1993

Execution & Legislation

●Promote "Non-governmental Version of Wildlife Conservation Act"
To Emphasize prohibition on captivity of wildlife, the Act was passed in 1994 and amended in 2009, to ensure wildlife's rights and to prohibit any display of protected wildlife and their derivatives.

●Launch the movement of "Refuse to Watch Circus Animal Shows"
We had boycotted foreign circuses and their shows in Taiwan several times since 1995, and exposed circus animal abuse. In 2007, we facilitated the amendment to Wildlife Conservation Act to prohibit circuses from transporting protected wildlife for performance.

●Urge for "Animal Protection Act"
In October 1998, Taiwan became the 54th country to enact the Animal Protection Act after the tremendous efforts from the alliance of LCA and 21 animal protection groups.

●Succeed in "Prevent the Legalization of Horseracing" 
We uncovered that those under the name of benevolence were plotting to legalize gambling on horseracing to gain windfall profits. Since then, Animal Protection Act now includes "Article of Anti-horseracing".

●Call for "Amendment to Prohibition on Manufacturing and Selling Foothold Traps"
We ran the campaign "unBEARable: the miserable world" to publicize the seriousness to take control of foothold traps. In June 2011, the Amendment was passed, which paved the important way for eliminating foothold traps.
We promote the addition of Article 14-2 to the Animal Protection Law in June 2011,that no one may manufacture, sell, display or export foothold traps without the permission of the central authority.

●Promote international collaboration on shark conservation
Taiwan's government has successfully and fully prohibited the catching of whale sharks with an enactment in 2008. In 2011, for whale shark conservation, we stop "National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium"(國立海洋生物博物館)from importing whale sharks.

●Promote "Prohibit the Killing of Live Poultry in Traditional Markets"
In the press conference "Besieged by crises in traditional markets", we lobbied that meat produced cruelly should be forbidden. In 2013, Taiwan government fully enforced the program "The prohibition on the illegal killing, selling, and display of live poultry".

●Endeavor to establish an independent "Animal Protections Agency"
We demanded severely that the new government should establish a high-standard and independent animal protections agency to effectively deal with issues on animal protection. In December 2012, the Council of Agriculture responded that the future Agriculture Division will plan to establish an Animal Protection Commission.

●The campaign of "Facilities that use animals for entertainment should not receive certification in environmental education"
Venues for environmental education should consider the respect for life and conservation for ecological resources and features. In 2013, Environmental Protection Agency declared "Venues for animal performance, including riding, are not certificated for environmental education."

●The establish of an "Animal Protection Administration Oversight Committee"
The committee aims to facilitate citizen participation for animal protection, deliver new perspectives of "Life care, animal protection, political supervision", raise government's awareness of the lives of animals, put animal protection policies into practice, and improve animals' existence predicament. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animalsright

Issues & Initiatives

Animal Entertainment

●Protest against "Catch Spring Chicken" held by Tian Hou Temple(天后宮) in Tainan
We argued that cultural seasons should support quality cultures, not such entertainment that neglects lives. In doing so, we carried and exposed the notion "Respect for Life" to the public.

●Uncover the miserable world where animals are displayed for performances
We exposed people who commercially use animals for performances severely neglect animal welfare. Those cute animals have to grin and bear cruelty for the good of their performance. In a 2013 press conference, we made an urgent announcement that animals in display should be protected under legislation to ensure their welfare immediately.

Wild Animals

●Launch the "Refusal to eat, to buy, and to feed; as well as no trading or killing" campaign 
Since 1994 we have launched three mass campaigns for saving protected wild animals and planned hundreds of celebrity lectures, in order to raise public awareness of wild animal conservation.

●Succeed in stopping open hunting
The combined force of many conservation groups had severely reproached Council of Agriculture(農委會) which tried to start a hunting activity in Danda. With demonstrations, petitions and boycott of Open Hunting, in 2005, the Council finally agreed to stop their plans.

Companion Animals

●Publish the first grassroots report of Taiwan's stray dog shelter, Canine Euthanasia.
In 1997, we had investigated all official stray dog shelters in Taiwan and exposed how intolerable and cruel the management and environment is towards the animals. We then submitted our suggestions in improvement strategies, asking for the government to put more efforts on fixing the problems.

●Pioneered ways to employ humane trapping methods, and hold nation-wide seminars
With an aim to express the notion of animal welfare, we have held nation-wide seminars ,since 1995, to teach techniques of humane trapping, emphasize respect for life, and promote recognition for the mutual security of human and animal.

●Initiate the neutering program "Put An End to Their Suffering"
Since 1996 we have launched this program with help of veterinary hospitals, and proposed for "Neutering, Not Putting Strays Down."

●Promote “No-kill” Policy on Shelter Animals

The Animal Protection Act was amended in February, 2015 whereas the article 12 which originally authorized euthanasia on animals after a 12-day period in the shelter was revised. The amended article states that only animals determined by certified veterinarians as suffering from infectious disease, terminal illness, or posing a serious threat to environmental hygiene, or other urgent situations can be euthanized. Subsequently a two-year sunset clause was also drafted to terminate humane killing on Feb. 6, 2017, making Taiwan one of the few countries that legislated and enforced No-kill

Farm Animals

●Publish "Crying Life"
The film reminds us to care for farm animals' life with gratitude and sympathy.

Experimental Animals

●Refuse to use animal testing cosmetics
In 2002 we started the movement "Beauty, not Cruelty", which aims to expose the brutality of animal testing and to call for the public refusal of such products.

●Promote animal testing alternatives
We held a conference called "Alternative Materials for Senior High School's Frog Autopsy Laboratory". This conference advocated using alternative materials, such as virtual teaching environment, to save animals in research and education from unnecessary deaths.

Education & Promotion

●Animals' Voice of Taiwan
Having been published up to 60 issues, the journal is seen as the epitome of Taiwan's animal protection. This journal is also published online to strengthen the effectiveness of information promotion. https://www.lca.org.tw/publish/avot

●E-Newsletter
The weekly latest news will be packed with LCA activities, foreign and domestic animal protection, and useful knowledge. Welcome to subscribe to it and stay informed : https://www.lca.org.tw/publish/newsletter

●Seed Teacher Training Workshops
Since 2008, we have held over 30 workshops annually across Taiwan and trained over 1500 teachers who will guide students to care for life.https://www.lca.org.tw/implant/257

●Put An End to Their Suffering
The program aims to promote animal protection groups' long-term efforts on TNR, and call for government to unravel problems of stray animals in a humane manner.

International

●2014 International Conference on “Animal Liberation, Animal Rights, and Equal Ecological Rights: Dialogues between Eastern and Western Philosophies and Religions”

With the on-going wide spreading of various zoonotic diseases such as avian flu, the need for comprehensive analysis, assessment and actions in animal welfare has never been greater. This conference will bring together leading experts around the world from NGOs and academia to share unique insights from their expertise in the disciplines of science, law, philosophy and religion for a deeper ethical discussion, by taking into account both animal protection and epidemic prevention. A range of keynote speeches, monographic lectures, paper presentations and panel discussions will provide dialogues surrounding animal and environmental issues, such as animal liberation, pet welfare, animal rights, environmental justice, etc.

More information：http://animalethics.hcu.edu.tw/eng/index.html

●2016 Keynote Speech of Prof. Peter Singer”Dogs, cats, pigs and chickens: which animals should we care about?”

Through this speech, the animal care object was expanded from companion animals to economic animals. Based on this, young animal protection experts and scholars and animal movement activists were invited to interact with Professor Peter Singer, hoping to bring together different generations in the Taiwan animal protection movement.

University Club Program

●Campus Animals Protection Network
The yearly seminar serves as a platform for students of all animal protection clubs around Taiwan to exchange resources, share information, discuss issues, make animal protection plans more practical and local, localize regional network, and empower teens who are concerned with animal protection. Now the network has over 40 clubs in colleges and universities around Taiwan.