Advocates call for research into owls at Shalun park
By Esme Yeh / Staff reporter
Environmental advocates called for an investigation into the pre-breeding population size of eastern grass owls, the population density of rodents and the preservation of habitats for the critically endangered bird species in the Shalun Science Park development project.
Based in the Shalun (沙崙) area around Tainan High Speed Rail Station in the city’s Gueiren District (歸仁), the 507-hectare project is part of the government’s Southern Taiwan Silicon Valley Program, which aims to build a semiconductor industry S-corridor in southern Taiwan.
The project’s second scoping meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment in Taipei yesterday.
The name and logo of the Ministry of Environment are pictured at its headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph.
Photo: CNA
Environmental groups focusing on different fields yesterday attended the meeting to express concerns over the project’s public health risks, carbon emissions, water usage plan and biodiversity preservation plan.
Of all the discussed issues, the habitat conservation for eastern grass owls was at center of debate.
The critically endangered bird species has an estimated population size of 200 to 500 nationwide, with its population highly restricted to southern Taiwan.
Apple Bird Satoyama Conservation Foundation representative Tseng Lung-yung (曾瀧永) said that roadkill is the leading cause of eastern grass owl deaths while rodenticides are a sublethal factor for the rodent-eating raptor.
Eastern grass owls need large, undivided grassland covering at least 200 hectares for habitat and an area of 20 hectares to 70 hectares for nest range, he said.
“Micro shelters” planted with white cogongrass and covering only 10 hectares or less might not help preserve eastern grass owls at the project site, Tseng said.
Tseng also called for a rodent population density survey to ensure that eastern grass owls have sufficient food without excessive rodenticide intake.
“Eastern grass owl conservation does not conflict with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co setting up fabs at the science park,” he said, adding that the disagreement lies in different conservation thinking.
Tseng said that owl habitat preservation should be established before the project started construction, which could happen in 18 months.
“Creating an eastern grass owl habitat requires two years,” he said, adding the habitat preservation effort is falling behind.
Tainan City Wildlife Conservation Association executive director Tseng I-shuo (曾翌碩) said it might be difficult to establish the causal link between rodenticide intake from the project site and eastern grass owl deaths.
While wildlife could have trace elements accumulating in their body just like humans, eastern grass owls have an activity range of up to 300 hectares, making it difficult to identify their exact forage locations, he said.
Tseng Lung-yung said that if a causal link cannot be established between the project’s rodenticide use and its eastern grass owl population size, then it cannot be built between the government’s regional eco-friendly farming practices and the bird species’ population growth.
He called for an investigation to ensure eastern grass owls have a pre-breeding population size of at least 100 adult birds.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chen Gao-tzu (陳昭姿), who also attended the meeting, asked the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency to designate major wildlife habitats for eastern grass owls at the project site.
She said she would list the issue as a resolution for review by the legislature.
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