Datagov Opendata Platform

Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, and pollution of the marine environment will directly destroy the balance of the marine environment and ecosystem, and indirectly affect human health and the acquisition of marine resources. According to the analysis of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), marine pollution sources are classified as land-based, atmospheric, waste disposal, shipping, and seabed exploration and mining. Land-based sources of pollution (44%) are the main sources impacting the marine environment and ecosystem, causing pollution of nearshore waters and destroying marine environments and habitats, leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the number of endangered marine species has increased rapidly in recent years, with over 5,000 species threatened as of 2020. The quality of the marine environment is closely related to the ecological environment and human economic development in the marine area, and it has become one of the most important issues of concern for coastal nations and internationally. The coastal waters of Taiwan have long been impacted by human activities, with aquaculture discharge seriously affecting the marine environment and ecology, and hindering the sustainable development of aquaculture. Untreated aquaculture discharge is directly discharged into nearby coastal waters, turning Taiwan's nearshore waters into a collection area for aquaculture discharge, exacerbating marine environmental problems such as eutrophication and red tide, and even leading to hazards to human health and land subsidence due to increased use of drugs and excessive pumping of groundwater caused by high-density aquaculture practices.