The upstream migration of hundreds of bighead carp in an artificial channel at Bitan Dam (碧潭堰) ahead of the laying season is a testament to the success of conservation efforts on the Sindian River (新店溪), New Taipei City Water Resources Department Director Sung Te-jen (宋德仁) said yesterday.
The department in 2015 constructed four short dams downstream of Bitan Dam to create a contiguous stretch of water to reconnect the ecological corridor that was severed during the construction of the main dam, Sung said.
The creation of the artificial channel at the dam furthered that goal, he said.
Photo: Wong Yu-huang, Taipei Times
The department recorded 63 fish species, as well as 10 shrimp and crab species, in the area from May 2022 to December last year, he said.
Rainfall levels last week and warmer temperatures have prompted fish to migrate upriver to procreate, and underwater camera footage showed a record number of fish in the artificial channel, the department said.
The public can observe the fish migration in person, it said.
Photo: Wong Yu-huang, Taipei Times
To prevent poaching, the department has contracted security personnel to patrol the channel at all times, it said, adding that a ban on fishing applies within 100m downstream of Bitan Dam.
National Tsing Hua University professor emeritus Tzeng Chyng-shyan (曾晴賢) said that the city government’s monitoring of the river’s ecology via the cameras has helped increase upstream fish migration.
A ban on activities in or near the river in the vicinity of the dam has provided a safe habitat for its fauna, Tzeng said.
In February the department recorded the upriver migration of sweetfish, it said, adding that it expects mitten crabs to be active next month.
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