Large numbers of dead fish have washed up on the shores of the Keelung River from Zhongshan Bridge to Dazhi Bridge, probably because of consecutive days of high temperatures, the Taipei City Government said.
The city government said it expected to finish clearing the dead fish from the river today.
The Taipei Environmental Protection Bureau said that the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water near the dead fish was 3.5 milligrams per liter, which is about four to five times lower than normal.
Photo: EPA
The water temperature was 30.3oC, far higher than the average high temperature of 28.1oC in recent years, the bureau said.
The pH of the river was 7.3 which is normal, the bureau said, adding that despite the mass fish deaths the tilapia population in the river was alive and well.
“We suspect that the cause of mass death in fish is not due to contamination, but high temperatures,” the bureau said.
The bureau said it set up netting and floating blocks near the Bailing and Zhongshan bridges to prevent the dead fish washing downriver and was working with the Water Resources Agency to remove the dead fish.
The bureau said it could not give an accurate estimate on the total number of fish killed.
The bureau said that similar incidents have occurred in Yilan County’s Dongshan River (冬山河), Taoyuan’s Laojie Creek (老街溪), the Bitan area (碧潭) in New Taipei City’s Xindian District (新店) and in Xizhi District (汐止).
Taipei Public Works Department official Yu Pai-sung (游百崧) said that the greatest concentration of dead fish was near a river junction.
The department yesterday sent out three boats to help clear the fish, and at least one returned before noon fully laden, Yu said.
The department sent out an additional two boats yesterday afternoon to expedite the operation, Yu said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by