Long-term scientific research will be carried out to reveal the full picture of the recent black-faced spoonbill deaths at an ecological reserve in Chiku Lagoon, said Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) yesterday as hundreds of local residents joined him at Chihku township to pray for the birds still fighting for survival.
The gathering was originally planned as part of the opening ceremony of the county government-sponsored Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Season, which began yesterday and will end next April when the endangered birds make the trip back north.
Commissioner Su, who joined in prayers for the still-ill birds, said that autopsy reports suggested that the spoonbills died of botulism, contracted from eating contaminated dead fish and shrimps.
"However, we are curious about this because the birds don't usually eat dead fish," Su said.
At a workshop held yesterday afternoon in Chiku, experts revealed details of research projects that aim to solve the mystery deaths.
Participants said that all scientific research projects and a budget proposal for these projects would be forwarded to the Council of Agriculture (COA) based on a meeting scheduled for Friday in Tainan County Government.
As of yesterday, 53 black-faced spoonbills had died of botulism, local officials said.
According to Hsieh Yao-ching (謝耀清), director of the county government's animal health inspection office, 10 survivors were in a stable condition. Experts at Hsieh's office in Taiwan are taking care of eight birds and some spoonbills have been able to fly, officials said.
Experts at the Nantou-based Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute are looking after the remaining two sick spoonbills, which are also in a stable condition.
Lee Tuey-chih (李退之), director of Tainan County Government's Information Division, told the Taipei Times yesterday local authorities would integrate efforts from experts at universities in a bid to offer international conservation circles with valuable research on the unusual deaths.
Lee said that the sick spoonbills might be relocated to a fish farm near Chiku Lagoon, which could be transformed into a huge birdcage.
"Data pertaining to long-term observation on their health would be quite essential to conservation circles," Lee said.
There are less than 1,000 black-faced spoonbills worldwide. So far, more than 700 spoonbills have arrived in Taiwan this winter.
The recent deaths have caught world conservationists' attention.
Chen Jin-an (
"A project costing NT$8 million will be carried out next year," Chen said.
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