Recently, Penghu has been suffering. Continuing low temperatures are believed to have caused the death of more than 3,000 tonnes of fish, costing local aqua farmers NT$800 million (US$26 million) in lost revenue. Large numbers of dead fish have been found along the coast, including rarely seen creatures like striped anglerfish. Is this just the result of a long-lasting cold spell? As a young person in Penghu, I doubt it. I believe that the catastrophe is partly the consequence of the "KCN [potassium cyanide] poisoned sea" incident of 2006.
It is believed that on May 27, 2006, fishermen hurriedly threw 2 tonnes of KCN in the sea north of Penghu to avoid having it seized by the coast guard. The KCN caused thousands of sea creatures to die and wash up on the beaches nearby.
Moreover, the limited fishing take in 2006 of the silver round herring there further convinced people that the sea was polluted and Cai Wan-sheng (蔡萬生), a reputable expert in the field, has also spoken on the topic.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Actually, the fish resources in Penghu have long been heavily threatened. Over the past 20 years the notorious poison-fishing, explosives-fishing, shock-fishing, over-intensive netting and unlimited trawler netting have seriously injured the marine areas of Penghu.
The KCN incident of 2006 is not known because of its uniqueness, but because of the unprecedented amount of the toxin involved. It reminds us that the ecosystem had been forced to the edge of collapse -- the KCN can be partly diluted in the sea, yet its effects are still haunting. News documents reported that most of the creatures killed at that time were ground fish and higher consumers in the food chain. This may indicate some potential but worrisome effects:
First, the KCN was left on the sea floor. It has not been moved away by sea currents but instead sits in the reef areas, directly killing ground fish like tesselated moray. Since most of the dead fish were higher on the food chain, they are very likely to accumulate KCN from the prey they eat, and could finally bring it to human beings.
Second, marine productivity could fall. Basic producers could either have been killed or are carrying poison. As long as the amount of plankton decreases, it will be hard for the fish that eat it to live. It will be especially hard for the predators at the top of the food chain. Declining food in the system means fewer captured marine creatures. Finally the income of fishermen will decrease.
Third, the ecosystem is jeopardized. Fewer predators higher up in the food chain will mean species lower on the food chain may reproduce without control. If there are no higher predators in the system to keep it in balance, the food chain could become less diverse and suffer from a lack of flexibility. Any great natural disaster could shake the system and it could be broken in the long run.
Instead of being surprised by the recent fishery disaster, people in Penghu should examine their history and understand the fundamental factors that have created this situation. Steps must be taken to protect Penghu marine environment without delay.
Wu Ling-cheng
Penghu
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