The death rate of purple milkweed butterflies during their annual migration has dropped substantially since highway authorities adopted preservation measures on one of the country’s two main freeways in 2007, a National Expressway Bureau official said on Friday.
The bureau took a number of measures between late March and early April 2007 to protect the milkweed butterflies over the past two years. The period of time sees the colorful insects pass over a section of Freeway No. 3 to reach their breeding ground in the north after wintering in the south.
In addition to using protective nets and ultra-violet lights to aid the migrating butterflies, the bureau has closed one north-bound lane of the freeway at some points and restricted the speed of vehicles to avoid hitting the insects.
A field survey by professor Yang Ping-shih (楊平世) of National Taiwan University has shown that the ratio of butterflies killed while flying over the freeway declined from 3 percent in 2007 to 0.3 percent last year.
Bureau Director Lee Tai-ming (李泰明) said the measures would be expanded this year.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
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