Enraged Taiwanese Fishermen Dump Reeking Shellfish At City Hall

[hatrack]

"Dumping reeking oysters and clams in front of Taipei Sewerage Office officials, hundreds of Tamsui fishermen yesterday demanded the Taipei City Government compensate them for sewerage discharged into the Tamsui River since last Friday.

"All the fish died after the filth got into the water -- fishermen are going to starve to death," said Chiang Chun-kuei (�]�t‹M), chief of the Tamsui Fishermen's Association, who yesterday led hundreds of colleagues in a protest against what they called negligence on the part of the Taipei Sewerage Office. The office is responsible for the Shizitou Pumping Station in Wuku township, Taipei County, which broke down last Friday after being struck by lightning. More than 3 million tonnes of household sewage was then discharged into the river.

EDIT

Office deputy director Lin Chun-hsiung (—Ñ�r—Y) apologized to the assembled fishermen, and added that the office would help them to apply for compensation. He also promised that the pumping station would be operational today. But Lin also told the fishermen that to receive compensation they would have to find concrete evidence that the problem was caused by human error. He added that the pollution had not had much of an impact on marine products.

Lin's words angered some of the fishermen, and one dumped a bucket of stinking oysters and clams in front of him. "If you have the guts to eat this seafood, then we won't ask for anything more," several fishermen yelled."

EDIT

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/07/22/2003179907

[demnan]

1. Hooray!

Finally an environmental protest that makes sense!