Thermal discharge from the Third Nuclear Power Plant is behind the rapid destruction of Kenting National Park’s coral reef, a marine researcher said, warning that the reef’s disappearance would jeopardize the fishing industry and ecosystem.
Allan Chen (陳昭倫), a research fellow with Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Biodiversity, said the plant has accelerated the deterioration of coral by emitting thermal discharge that has driven seawater temperatures 1.5°C to 2°C higher over the past 26 years.
The number of varieties of coral has fallen from between 20 and 30 that existed 26 years ago to three today, Chen said.
Except for the sandy area off western Taiwan, coral can be found all around the nation and off Penghu, where the water temperature has shot up by 1.09°C in recent years. Coral reefs are considered the most important marine ecosystem for the fishing industry, tourism, culture, medicine and coastline protection, Chen said.
Chen’s research shows that Taiwan’s seawater temperature peaked between the 1970s and the 1980s, in line with global trends. In the last six decades, the average temperature of Taiwan’s seawater has risen 0.79°C, slightly higher than the 0.5°C experienced by other tropical sea regions in the world.
Scientists have warned that if global warming continues at its current pace, the world’s coral reefs will completely disintegrate by the end of the century.
Industrial waste, overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification and typhoons all contribute to the destruction and bleaching of coral reefs, the scientist said.
He said the live coral coverage rate in Kenting now was about 70 percent, roughly the same as in 1986, but that the rate could be a misleading indicator because coverage rate does not mean the live corals are fully functioning.
“It’s like tearing down a multifunctional high-rise building like Taipei 101 and replacing the area with one-story houses. You lose most of the original diversity and functionality,” he said.
In related news, a group of rare soft corals has been discovered off the coast of Rueifang Township (瑞芳), Taipei County.
Wang Min-hsian (王銘祥), who made the discovery, described the area as an underwater “crystal palace,” but he said he feared the coral would be destroyed if plans to build a wharf near the site proceed.
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
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