The cold and wet weather that has affected the nation for several days has raised fears among aquaculturists in normally warm southern Taiwan that their delicate farmed milkfish might not survive.
The daytime temperature in Greater Tainan fell to a low of 11°C yesterday and city officials responsible for agricultural affairs said fish farmers are worried about possible stock losses because of the cold.
Fish farmer Wu Ming-sheng (吳明成) said that three more days without sun will be enough to start killing off the milkfish in his coastal ponds.
Photo: CNA
It has been gloomy and cold in Tainan for the last three days, Wu added, with daytime temperatures dropping below 10°C at one point because of strong wind.
Meanwhile, milkfish breeders in nearby Greater Kaohsiung have begun pumping sea water out of the ocean into their ponds along the coast to raise the temperature of the water, according to a local fishermen’s association.
The Central Weather Bureau forecast that southern areas of the country would continue to see overcast days for the next week, with lows hovering between 12°C and 14°C.
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