Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[Eskaminagaga]

Why would they keep something like this a secret, though? Why not make this public?

If I had to guess the reason, it is because of the fact that they are raising GMO silkworms there. Taiwan, due to its unique relationship with China, cannot sign the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, thus is not governed by those restrictions. Though they do have laws put in place by Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ), I am not sure that they have any that cover transgenic silkworms specifically.

It is possible that Kim was able to get these transgenic silkworms into Taiwan through a loophole in the Taiwanese law and kept it secret so that the issue would not be raised there locally and the loophole be closed.

EDIT: I found in a report HERE:

Given its unique political status, Taiwan cannot sign the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB). However, Taiwan has implemented some international standards and has incorporated Cartagena guidelines into its Regulations Governing Transboundary Movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs.) The COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) is the lead agency on the biotechnology issues. In July 2005, BAPHIQ promulgated the “Regulations for Approving Import/Export of Transgenic Plant” on the basis of the “Plant Varieties and Seeds Act”. The regulation stipulates that all LMOs must be submitted to BAPHIQ for import/export approvals for environmental release. In addition, the regulation governing propagation and production of aquatic plants and animals (fish) also stipulates that LMOs of aquatic plants and animals must be submitted to the COA Fishery Administration for a permit for trans-boundary movement. To date, only a few import/export records of LMOs have been reported for experimental purposes. The COA has recently established a surveillance program for internal movement of LMOs. The first LMO internal movement surveillance target is GM papaya with batch-by-batch inspection for each commercial papaya seedling transaction and a two (2) percent tolerance level.

I guess it is classified as an experiment there?