TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Spring is in the air. Daan Beach, a popular destination for water activities in central Taiwan, has been open since March 1, and Shanyuan Bay in Beinan Township, Taitung County, will be open for beach activities and swimming starting April 1.
The opening of these beaches gives hope that they will be cleaned daily, as it is disappointing to see Taiwan's beaches so often awash with debris and rubbish during the off-season.
A clean beach is an inviting and pleasant escape from city life, a quiet picnic, beach games with the family, and walking the dog. Perhaps it may even help attract the return of domestic and foreign tourists now that life seems to be getting back to normal post-COVID.
Unfortunately, the off-season sees mounds of plastic and other non-degradable rubbish clogging up what should be the pristine coastline of Taiwan. It is not a good look from an aesthetic perspective, and it certainly brings into question the commitment to the environment in Taiwan's ESG aspirations.
Some minor accolades should be given to individuals, companies and organizations who arrange some sort of regular beach clean-up. These activities are admirable, but it does not give an entity bragging rights or the ability to put a “tick” next to any question about its commitment to the environment in its ESG report.
It’s not that Taiwan has ignored the issue of beach pollution. In 2017, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and Taiwan's environmental NGOs worked together to establish the “Marine Debris Governance Platform."
This followed intensive information exchange and discussion. The complexity and severity of marine debris in Taiwan was appreciated and the noble intent of this action plan was to work to reduce the production of and the impact caused by marine debris.
Reduction and removal
The plan focused on four areas: Source reduction, prevention and removal, research and investigation and expansion of collaboration and participation. It was also pledged to ensure constant action, reduce the generation of marine debris, and mitigate its impact on the ocean environment.
Taiwan recognizes marine waste as a major ongoing marine environmental problem. It has a sincere appreciation of the profound impact of marine plastic waste because of its slow decomposition.
Recognition of the urgency of the marine waste problem even found its way into the 2020 Taiwan-U.S. Environmental Protection Technological Collaboration Agreement, which lists marine waste as requiring bilateral collaboration.
The action plan, pledge of ongoing action, and agreement are positive moves. Yet, the appearance of Taiwan’s beaches at times seems to contradict all the beautiful words.
Even so, according to EPA reports from earlier this month, the amount of waste on Taiwan’s coastlines has been reduced by nearly 60% over the past three years. However, domestically produced plastic waste continues to wash up on shorelines.
The EPA reports are based on surveys commissioned as part of the Cabinet’s "Salute to the Sea" policy, which aims to protect, improve knowledge of and improve accessibility to Taiwan’s marine environment.
Real enemy is microplastics
Let us take a moment to applaud the improvements. A 60% reduction is significant, but it is not time to get carried away with celebrations as these improvements must continue and, without being pessimistic, it is possible we are already too late and it’s all because of plastic.
We know that plastic has revolutionized our lives, but it continues to threaten not just Taiwan but also global ecosystems at an alarming rate. The real enemy is microplastics.
Microplastics are found everywhere on Earth, and they represent a real threat to animal, human and environmental health. At less than 5mm long, microplastics are harmful to oceans and aquatic life and come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller pieces.
Present in a variety of products, from cosmetics to synthetic clothing to plastic bags and bottles which readily enter the environment as waste, microplastics are increasingly present in the marine environment and scientists have been finding plastic fragments in a wide range of animal species, from tiny crustaceans to birds and whales and even bears.
New studies have shown that microplastics are also harmful to human cells. Microplastics have already been found in various human foods such as beer, drinking water, honey, sugar, and table salt and, naturally, seafood.
Uniquely human
The possible problems associated with plastic contamination are especially pertinent to the Taiwanese public because there is a relatively high proportion of seafood in the Taiwanese diet. Taiwan’s coastline is heavily polluted with macroplastics and microplastics, and the waters surrounding Taiwan, even with the improvements noted above, are amongst the most plastic-polluted in the world.
Scientists are actively trying to find solutions to this hidden menace, but humans seem to have a unique ability to pollute and threaten their very existence.
The media has and must continue to take up this issue, but it is arguable that only the complete ban of many plastics, especially single-use packaging, can avoid an environmental catastrophe.
If Taiwan is to truly adhere to its commitment to the environment within its ESG plans, then radical action is needed. However, the appetite must be found to further reduce the amount of plastic pollution, and find ways to make a meaningful impact on the level of microplastics.