Taiwan Today
Date: November 25, 2015
An act aimed at protecting Taiwan’s underwater cultural heritage was passed Nov.
The Ministry of Culture is expected to ramp up its efforts to safeguard Taiwan’s submerged archaeological assets following the passage of a bill on protecting the nation’s underwater cultural heritage by the Legislature Nov. 24 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of MOC)
24 by the Legislature, underscoring the nation’s efforts to safeguard submerged archaeological assets, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Drafted by the ministry in line with the U.N. Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, the bill is Taiwan’s first legislation dedicated to furthering pursuits in this area, MOC Minister Hung Meng-chi said. He expects the act to help advance local research in maritime history while contributing to the increasingly important field of undersea archaeology.
“Given Taiwan’s prime location in some of the world’s most important waterways, the nation requires a comprehensive legal framework to ensure the preservation, protection and management of its rich undersea cultural heritage resources,” Hung said.
Comprising 44 articles in seven chapters, the Underwater Cultural Heritage Preservation Act specifies that any cultural resources found in Taiwan’s territorial waters, except for those from vessels and aircraft whose ownership is claimed by foreign countries, are to be designated as national heritage. [FULL STORY]
