Central Taiwan wildlife sanctuary strikes conservation-tourism balance

2020/02/24

Established in 2004, Gaomei Wetlands Wildlife Refuge in central Taiwan’s Taichung is less than an hour from the city center. Thanks to smart management combined with spectacular scenery and plentiful wildlife, the haven is a favorite attraction for visitors from all walks of life.
 
 Success did not come immediately, requiring a radical overhaul of the 701-hectare sanctuary. A high-profile accidental fire during the shooting of a pop music video in 2008 led to a rethink on visitor access plans. The Coastal Resources and Fisheries Development Center under Taichung City Government, which manages the nature preserve, decided to confine visitors to an elevated boardwalk winding through Gaomei’s core and buffer zones. Completed in 2013, the 691-meter-long structure is now one of the refuge’s most distinctive features.

Visitors can walk freely at the end of the boardwalk during low tide, but otherwise must stick to the designated path or face a fine. The policy has been an unqualified success in lessening human impact on the environment, according to Wu. In the year of the walkway’s completion, 35 people were fined for trespassing on protected areas, but none were in 2018. "We’ve tried to strike a balance between developing ecotourism and safeguarding nature," Wu said. “We want people to visit and appreciate Taiwan’s beauty, but they must respect the surroundings."
 
 Introducing the boardwalk has elevated Gaomei to one of the most popular wildlife refuges in Taiwan, with 1.5 million visitors last year. A birder’s dream, the sanctuary is home to 127 avian species including the endangered black-beaked gull and black-faced spoonbill. Fish are also in abundance, with 47 varieties.

Gaomei’s work is made possible thanks to two nongovernmental organizations commissioned by CRFDC to oversee the sanctuary. One organizes teams of about 30 people for regular clean-up missions, while the other deploys patrols to ensure visitors do not violate the Wildlife Conservation Act by straying from the boardwalk or disturbing the habitat. “The hard work of these NGOs is what makes the refuge such a success,” Wu said.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)