Chang Siao-yue, Taiwan's representative to the United Kingdom, presented a check for US$50,000 to BLI CEO Marco Lambertini in a ceremony held Thursday at Taiwan's representative office in London.

It was the second and final installment Taiwan had promised to contribute to BLI's Asian Forest and Climate Change project in accordance with a sponsorship memorandum of understanding signed in December last year.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chang said the government has spared no efforts in ecological protection and bird life conservation.

Since 1984, she went on, Taiwan has set up six national parks and an endemic species research institute to facilitate the conservation of wildlife and the protection of biodiversity.

Moreover, she continued, the government has enacted a raft of laws for the purposes of fauna and flora protection and cultural heritage preservation.

In collaboration with BLI's Important Bird Area (IBA) program, Chang said the Wild Bird Society of the Republic of China has set up 52 IBAs around Taiwan since 1999 to better protect birds and their natural habitats.

Impressed by BLI's achievements in ecological protection and bird life conservation, Chang said the government decided to donate US$100,000 in two installments within two years for the Asian Forest and Climate Change project, which is aimed at preventing illegal logging in various Asian countries.

Citing conservation group studies, Chang said, rampant illegal logging and abusive development of woodland areas have threatened many precious Asian animal species and exacerbated global worming.

For his part, Lambertini briefed Chang on progress in BLI's Asian forest conservation project and expressed gratitude for Taiwan's donation. He also praised Taiwan's commitment to wildlife conservation.

(By Jennifer Huang and Sofia Wu)