Integrated marine pollution management: A new model of marine pollution prevention and control in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

In a small island country like Taiwan, where the coastal zones have been heavily utilized, it is critical for the government to protect the health of near shore aquatic environment by enforcing the Marine Pollution Control Act (MPCA). However, the implementation of an effective plan based on MPCA is challenging local area. This is particular the case in the local level when the cross linkage among all related agencies is generally lacking. In 2004, the Kaohsiung city was aware of the shortfalls and then implemented an integrated marine pollution management system. The new system was adopted an action plan, that integrates all agencies with a strong communication mechanism. The encouraging results have shown substantial resource savings and a great improvement in water quality in the Kaohsiung marine environment. The success of this case reflects the needs for the concept of the integrated coastal zone management when dealing with marine affairs.