Chinese man filmed holding sea turtle on Taiwan island may face fine

Pingtung County, April 27 (CNA) A Chinese man was referred to prosecutors by Taiwan's Coast Guard on Sunday after being filmed holding a sea turtle while visiting a popular tourist island off Pingtung County, and he could be fined up to NT$300,000 (US$9,542).

The man, surnamed Liu (劉), was reported by a member of the public at around 4 p.m. Sunday after he was seen touching a sea turtle near Vase Rock, a well-known coastal attraction on Xiaoliuqiu, according to Chang Lung-chuan (張龍全), head of the island's inspection office under the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

The person who reported the incident also provided video footage of the encounter, Chang told reporters Monday.

In the video, Liu can be seen standing near Vase Rock and holding the turtle by both sides of its body, briefly lifting it out of the water before letting it go after he was hit by a wave from behind.

Later Sunday, Coast Guard officers identified Liu based on his clothing in the video and found him near the shoreline, before taking him back to the inspection office for questioning, according to a CGA statement issued Monday.

The agency said Liu, who is in his 50s, had legally entered Taiwan to visit relatives.

The Chinese man defended his actions by claiming that the turtle had been washed toward him by waves while he was looking out to sea and that he was only trying to move it away, the CGA said.

The Coast Guard disagreed, however, saying Liu's contact with the sea turtle constituted a clear violation of the Act on Wildlife Conservation, and the case was referred Sunday to the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office for further investigation.

Article 18 of the Act stipulates that protected wildlife "should be conserved and shall not be disturbed, abused, hunted, killed or otherwise utilized."

Violators may face up to one year in prison and/or fined between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000.

Xiaoliuqiu is one of Taiwan's best-known habitats for protected sea turtles, and conservation notices warning visitors not to touch or disturb them are displayed on ferries to the island and at beaches across Xiaoliuqiu, the CGA said.

Despite those warnings, similar incidents continue to occur, the agency said.

Warning that foreign nationals are also subject to penalties for violations, the CGA reminded the public to follow the "three noes" when encountering wild animals: do not touch, do not disturb and do not feed them.