Greenpeace Taiwan yesterday called for an environmental conservation zone around Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球), citing a sharp decline in the health of local coral reefs and fish.
A study conducted in August by volunteers indicated severe degradation of the island’s reef environment and a collapse in fish populations, Greenpeace Taiwan “Project Ocean” director Tommy Chung (鍾孟勳) told a news conference in Taipei.
Average fish densities in six locations surveyed by the team ranged from 1.1 per square meter to 0.4 per square meter, which compared unfavorably with other reef environments in Taiwanese waters, he said.
Photo courtesy of Greenpeace Taiwan
The reefs near the mouth of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s water outlet on Pingtung County’s Hengchun Peninsula had a fish density of between five fish per square meter and eight per square meter, he said.
The poor health observed in Siaoliouciou coral reefs is as alarming as the fish population’s collapse, as coral cover receded to an average of 10 percent and the coral to algae ratio had fallen to 0.5 or lower in many locations, Chung said.
These values indicate that the reefs lost structural complexity and no longer function as a reef environment, which was reflected in a lack of observed biodiversity, he said.
The precipitous environmental decline of Siaoliouciou reefs would likely spell doom for local tourism if the government does not take action, he said in a call for lawmakers and officials to pass an ocean conservation bill as soon as possible.
Coral reefs provide key habitats for fish and their loss would have a negative impact on the latter’s numbers, said Fan Tung-yun (樊同雲), a researcher at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium.
The death of the island’s corals would have severe consequences for the regional fishing and tourism industries, he said, adding that the government needs to take a more active role in efforts to rehabilitate reefs.
Greenpeace Taiwan said its Siaoliouciou reef study utilized the line transact method and observed the conditions of fish and coral on 10m-deep sea beds.
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