The Cabinet has passed a draft version of the Coastal Act.
The draft was passed on Thursday. Cabinet spokesman Sun Li-chyun explained the importance of the act.
"The premier pointed out that the Coastal Act is an important component of the Three National Land Protection Laws. The public is very concerned about the protection of marine ecology. The aerial documentary Beyond Beauty – Taiwan from Above has shown many images [of our damaged coastlines]," said Sun.
"We hope that the Coastal Act will be reviewed and passed by the legislature as soon as possible, so that there is a legal basis for national land protection. The Coastal Act mainly targets the protection and development of coastal areas, and fair use [of the coastal areas] and sound management are its two main pillars," he said.
According to the draft act, protected areas will be set up to preserve important marine and cultural assets. Development of certain coastal areas will require approval from the authorities.