Taiwan group plans sanctuary for endangered dolphin

A Taiwanese conservation group said Wednesday it plans to set up a sanctuary for the endangered Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, using proceeds from the island's first environmental trust fund.

The fund aims to collect 238 million Taiwan dollars (7.4 million US) that will initially be used to buy 200 hectares (495 acres) of coastal wetland to house the dolphin, the Changhua Environmental Protection Union said.

"This is Taiwan's first environmental protection trust fund," Tsai Chia-yang, the head of the union, told AFP.

The 200 hectares of wetland are located in central Taiwan's Changhua county, which is the dolphin's major feeding ground on the island, Tsai said.

To date 31,000 people have offered to buy 1.4 million shares in the fund, or 70 percent of the initial target, he said.

(c) 2010 AFP