The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) should do more to protect Taiwanese humpback dolphins, as pollution threatens the critically endangered species, New Power Party Chairwoman Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) said on Thursday.
People should be aware not only of the cause of death of a dolphin found in Tainan’s Anping Harbor (安平港) on Monday, but the dangers that the marine animals face, National Taiwan University School of Veterinary Medicine associate professor Yang Wei-cheng (楊瑋誠) said.
More than 80 percent of the dolphins monitored for a study had scars indicating that they had been trapped or caught in netting or wiring, while 60 percent also had lesions, Yang said.
Photo: CNA
The agency is looking into the cause of the Tainan dolphin’s death, agency Deputy Director-General Wu Long-jing (吳龍靜) said, adding that any decrease in the dolphin population is a terrible loss.
The agency is stepping up conservation measures for Taiwanese Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins by analyzing the threats they face, increasing monitoring and research, protecting the animal’s habitat, mitigating human effects on their habitat and improving local conservation efforts, he said.
Last year, the OCA worked with the Fisheries Agency in a program to purchase old nets in hopes of decreasing the amount of netting or other fishing waste dumped into the sea, he said.
The OCA has also been monitoring water quality, Wu said, adding that the water quality around the dolphins’ habitat is satisfactory.
It is still considering whether to expand an area marked as an important habitat for dolphins, he said.
The OCA has stretched its review parameters as far north as New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) and as far south as Tainan, he said.
Its conservation plan is constantly changing based on its research, Wu said.
It has established a panel, which includes experts, to provide suggestions on how to improve dolphin conservation, he said.
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
READY: The CGA said it closely monitored China’s maritime exercise, deployed vessels to shadow the Chinese ships one-on-one and set up emergency response centers Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signaling the end of a massive maritime exercise, authorities said yesterday. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) released images it said showed Chinese vessels sailing north in rough seas past Taiwan on Thursday, on their way to China. “All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, so although they have not officially made any announcement, we consider it over,” CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said. Beijing has not confirmed the drills and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not say whether the maneuvers had taken place when asked at a
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: As some roads would be fully or partially closed, people are advised to take the MRT, with services expanded to accommodate more riders This year’s Taipei Marathon, which has obtained its first gold label certification from World Athletics, is to be held from 5am to 1pm tomorrow and would have 28,000 participants. The race is to start from the Taipei City Plaza and would go through major roads throughout the city, with traffic control implemented from 6am to 2pm, officials said. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system and New Taipei City MRT Circle line would start operating at 5am on the day of the race, they said. The race would cover Renai Road, Xinyi Road, Hangzhou S Road, Aiguo east and west roads,
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
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