Tourism stirs discord between local recreational operators and fishermen in Xiao Liuqiu

 Saturday, July 29, 2023 

Tourism has caused tensions between local recreational operators and fishermen in Xiao Liuqiu, which attracts over 1 million tourists every year.

Local enterprises who hire stand-up paddleboards (SUP) to visitors were discovered to have randomly placed buoyancy devices for SUP users into the water, obstructing official channels and interfering with local fishing boats.

According to the Pingtung Ocean and Fishery Affairs Administration, there have been five occurrences of unlawful buoy placement in the fishing port since June 5, two cases of swimmers invading into the port, and two cases of SUP incursion.

According to the Fishing Port Law, such violations can result in fines ranging from NT$30,000 to $150,000 (US$960 to $4,800).

Those who jeopardise safety or block ship navigation may also face fines ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$500,000 (US$3,000 to $15,960). The Maritime Office has deployed floating buoys to distinguish official waterways from those used for recreational purposes.

On July 6, the office hosted a session with local operators to discuss a variety of topics. To handle the inflow of tourists, a designated parking space for tourists, motorbikes, and fisherman, as well as a parking tax system, were established.

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