TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) Group’s Environmental Protection and Sustainability Foundation has established an “ASE Environment Protection Diving Team” and will donate a total of NT$12 million (US$432,900) to aid the Taoyuan City Government’s marine debris removal project.

The donation will support up to three years of beach and ocean-cleaning activities, which will remove an estimated 500 tons of marine debris, UDN reported on Tuesday (Sept. 28). The Environment Protection Diving Team will actively join cleanups and remove underwater trash along with Taoyuan’s various ocean patrolling teams and environment protection fleets.

According to UDN, there are 16 ocean patrolling teams in Taoyuan so far, and the government has also worked with Jhongli Fishermen’s Association, Taoyuan Fishermen’s Association, and CPC Corporation to establish three fleets to pick up any trash floating at sea.

In 2018, the Taoyuan City Government founded the Taoyuan Environment Protection Diving Team, and with ASE's addition, there are now five such teams consisting of 160 divers. Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said he hopes more businesses will enlist employees to join the effort.

ASE Holding CAO and ASE Environmental Protection and Sustainability Foundation CEO Wang Tu-tsun (汪渡村) told UDN that the NT$12 million will be donated over a period of three years and will also be used for purposes such as setting up surveillance systems and river garbage nets. The Foundation will also send members to southern Taiwan for dive training and certification.

The Taoyuan City Department of Environmental Protection said that as of Aug. 31 this year, it has removed 184 tons of garbage from beaches and the ocean, per UDN.