HUALIEN (TVBS News) — The head of Hualien Indigenous Affairs Department (花蓮縣府原住民行政局) promised on Tuesday (Oct. 22) to discuss gun control measures with the Council of Indigenous Peoples (原住民族委員會). Public concerns raised over hunting safety after an accidental shooting on Oct. 14 in Sikihiki (石平部落), Zhuoxi Township (卓溪鄉), resulted in the death of a 23-year-old hunter.
Councilor Wei Jia-xian (魏嘉賢) suggested that hunters register at a police station before entering the mountains and utilize technology to prevent accidents. Also, Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Councilor Fu Kuo-yuan (傅國淵) proposed notifying hunters of others entering nearby hunting grounds via text or phone calls.
Teyra Yudaw (帖喇．尤道), head of the Truku People's Hunting Association, emphasized the sacred nature of indigenous hunting traditions. He recommended that hunters travel in pairs and remain vigilant. A Truku (太魯閣族) hunter with the surname Zhong noted that past practices of greeting each other before hunting trips reduced accidental shootings, attributing recent incidents to unintentional trespassing into hunting areas.
The Director-general of the Hualien Indigenous Affairs Department, Toko Sayion (督固．撒耘), confirmed plans to collaborate with the CIP on control measures and enhance safety awareness. Also, the director-general assured that the proposal to register at police stations and employ high-tech controls will be discussed with law enforcement agencies.