Taiwan's West Coast
The Taiwanese white dolphin is a subspecies endemic to Taiwan, Which is a critically endangered marine mammal, with only 70-80 living individuals remaining. Marine ecologists have long regarded the white dolphin as an important indicator of the ecological condition and health of estuaries and coastal waters. If the white dolphin population of disappears from Taiwan’s west coast, it may well signify the collapse of our marine environment.
Chenggong, Taitung (1992)
Taiwan was once one of a few countries that actively hunted whale sharks. The most valuable parts of the whale shark are the fins, known as “Tian Jiu”, which are regarded as the top quality shark fins by food connoisseurs. With such interest in this gourmet food, the price of whale shark meat began to skyrocket. However, due to overfishing, whale shark numbers plummeted, and in 2008 Taiwan imposed a comprehensive ban on the fishing of whale sharks.
Taiwan’s Waters
Economic development is often promoted to justify coastal development. The continuous degradation of our natural coastline is due to non-stop artificial erosion of the natural environment, resulting in the extinction of ever more species. Instead, the coastline is scattered with garbage, vile and repulsive, which can be seen along the coast, floating on the ocean surface, and rolling on the seafloor.
Budai, Chiayi
In October 2015, marine biologists found plastic bags and fishing nets in the stomach contents of a beached sperm whale. This is not the first whale victim to loose their life because they accidentally ingested human garbage; whales, dolphins, birds, fish, and sea turtles regularly suffer similar fates. The death of this sperm whale sends a clear message that the ocean is dying.
Taiwan’s Waters
Bleached and fragmented, damaged coral looks similar to the eroding foundations of a collapsed building. Due to the impact of anthropogenic activities worldwide, about 75% of coral reefs are now under serious threat. As early as 1998, a survey revealed that Taiwan’s coral reefs have been reduced by 50 percent, and continue to be inflicted by catastrophic destructions.
Hengchun, Pingtung
When we take a deep breath and dive below the ocean surface, can we only find reminiscence of the sea between concrete tetrapods? Over-development of the coasts has resulted in severe destruction on fish habitats. In addition, the discharge of massive amountof wastewater and over-exploitation of marine resources are all serious threats to the integrity of our marine ecosystems. Our memories of the ocean are in fact gradually fading away!
Hengchun, Pingtung and Baisha, Penghu
Land crabs have evolved from the ocean to land. With extremely low food requirements and a high level of resilience and adaptability, they created a legend in the history of biological evolution. Each year they make the dangerous and laborious journey back to the sea to release their larvae, ensuring the continuation of future generations. But with the construction of roads and various concrete installations, breeding of land crabs become a life-threatening crisis.
Taiwan’s Waters
The waters surrounding Taiwan are very important international waterways. Bustling with marine traffic, coupled with climate and terrain factors result in an average of 800 maritime accidents each year, including a small number of vessels sinking due to severe damage. These shipwrecks become a temporary refuge for many fish, but come at a high cost to the marine environment.
Hengchun, Pingtung
On January 14, 2001, the Greek cargo ship Amorgos ran aground in waters east of Hengchun, Pingtung. The resulting oil spill caused serious pollution in Kenting National Park, leading to an ecological catastrophe. Today, the disintegrating wreck still lies on the ocean floor, like a scrap metal plant, rekindling memories of this near-forgotten maritime disaster.
Green Island, Taitung
Throughout the last 30 years, fisheries departments of Taiwanese government have installed over two hundred thousand artificial reefs at over eighty locations in the ocean. But environmental impact assessments were not conducted before the reefs were sunk, furthermore, there has been no follow-up management or monitoring. Therefore, benefits to the restoration of fishery resources or marine environmental conservation have yet to be assessed.
Green Island, Taitung
The main habitat of the sharp-nose garden eel population in Green Island lies at a depth of around 17 meters in the coastal waters just south of Shilang Nature Reserve, where the Fisheries Department sunk 150 utility pole reefs in 2004. Not only did the sharp-nose garden eels immediately lose their homes, but many soft corals, gorgonians, sponges and hermatypic corals were also crushed under the heavy weight of the utility poles.