The Cabinet has given its approval to a draft bill that would protect underwater cultural heritage sites located in Taiwanese waters.
The bill’s approval comes as Taiwan’s neighbors, including Vietnam, Thailand and China pass laws designed to protect their underwater cultural heritage.
Heritage sites under the bill include shipwrecks, airplanes, human remains, artifacts, buildings and other manmade objects. The bill does not cover privately owned objects or objects that are the property of other countries.
The bill gives the culture ministry the power to conduct surveys of underwater cultural heritage. The culture ministry will also be able to investigate tip-offs on suspected underwater heritage sites. The bill gives the ministry the power to list and manage confirmed sites.
In the future government agencies and businesses will need to confirm that there are no heritage sites nearby before they can begin work on projects such as laying underwater cables or pipelines. The bill provides for a prison term of up to five years and a fine of up to NT$10 million (US$310,000) for those convicted of stealing or destroying underwater heritage.