TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Animal advocacy organizations and academics in Taiwan are petitioning against a government proposal to grant Indigenous hunters access to national parks.

The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) in February 2021 published a proposed amendment to the National Park Law (國家公園法) that would allow Indigenous communities to hunt in national parks for cultural purposes.

Opponents of the proposal argue that Indigenous people have already been granted the right to hunt in designated mountainous areas pursuant to the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), which they say accounts for almost half of the island’s forests. National parks should be treated as conservation areas to better protect wildlife, especially wildlife native to Taiwan, according to a petition initiated by the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan.

Another issue is a pilot program launched in 2018 to give tribes autonomy in their hunting practices. Critics say the project lacks transparency and review and fails to address the potential harm to wildlife.

In addition, there have been incidents in Taiwan of hunters accidentally shooting people instead of their prey, and there is concern this could occur in national parks if the regulations are relaxed. A balance needs to be struck between honoring Indigenous traditions and protecting the ecosystem, the petition stressed, urging the authorities to reconsider the proposal.