A Penghu official this week submitted a proposal calling on the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration to remove a new coastal boardwalk in Husi Township (湖西), saying the structure is an obstacle to green sea turtles that lay eggs in the area.
Penghu County Councilor Chen Hui-lin (陳慧玲) of the Democratic Progressive Party cited a study conducted in the area that blamed low hatch rates of the endangered species this year on the boardwalk and recommended that the administration remove the structure.
Chen said that the boardwalk, which runs from Aimen Beach (隘門) to Lintou Beach (林投), is an impassable barrier to green sea turtles and led to many laying their clutches in nearby mangroves, which can be submerged at high tide, reducing the survival rate of hatchlings.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
The hatching rate this year for green sea turtle eggs in the area was less than 50 percent, which the researchers said was abnormally low, according to Chen.
Eight clutches were counted on Lintou Beach this year, while there were more than 50 throughout Penghu, meaning 3,000 to 3,500 eggs, according to a conservative estimate, Chen said.
Since green sea turtles return to the same location every two to three years to lay eggs, the walkway should be remodeled with a bypass for the turtles, or taken down completely before their return, Chen said.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
The proposal was passed by the council and a formal request to remove the walkway was forwarded through the Penghu County Government to the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration.
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