Groups complete first phase of plan to buy part of wetlands

The Matsu Fish Conservation Union, a coalition of Taiwanese non-governmental organizations, initiated the campaign in April with the aim of preserving the habitat of the endangered population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and other marine life in the waters off Taiwan's west coast.

The area of coastal wetlands near the mouth of the Chuoshui River hosts a complete eco-system that includes migratory birds, fiddler crabs, mudskippers, mud shrimps and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, the union said.

The population of humpback dolphins in the waters along Taiwan's coast is now around 100, compared to an estimated 200 in 2006, it said.

So far, more than 50,000 members of the public have pledged donations to a fund to buy the 200 hectares of the coastal wetlands, the alliance said.

In the second phase of the campaign, which began in September, the aim is to raise enough money to purchase another 800 hectares of the wetlands, the union said.

The union is offering shares of one square meter each, at a cost of NT$119 per share.

Its goal is to foil a plan by Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Corp. to buy the wetlands for the construction of a 4,000-hectare petrochemical complex.

The union has listed the details of its fundraising process on its website (http://et.e-infor.org.tw/node/188).

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