The digestive tracts of most fish found in the waters around Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) contain plastic waste, a study has shown.
National Donghwa University marine biology professor Chen Te-hao (陳德豪) said that about 95 percent of fish in a study conducted around 117 coral formations near the township contained microplastic — plastic fragments 5mm in size or smaller.
There is an urgent need for the reduced use of plastics, Chen said, adding that the public is advised against eating fish offal.
In the study, all fish were found to have no fewer than five pieces of microplastic in their systems, with the bodies of larger mahi-mahi (also known as the common dolphinfish) containing as many as 32 pieces of plastic waste.
What concerned Chen most about the results was that even fish that normally live at depths of between 180m and 640m below the ocean’s surface were shown to have consumed plastic.
The study also looked at 21 turtles of different species, including green sea turtles, olive ridley sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles, between December 2017 and November last year, and found that nearly all of them had consumed plastic, Chen said, adding that his research team is now looking at oysters.
Despite the discovery that plastic waste consumption among marine life is more pervasive than previously thought, the plastic is unlikely to pass through the food chain to humans unless people consume fish offal, Chen said.
Even if the plastic does not enter the human food chain, its impact on marine life is apparent, he said, adding that some get entangled in larger pieces of plastic, sometimes fatally.
“There are people recycling plastic and organizing beach cleanups nationwide, but this is a reactive response. We need to go to the source of the problem — to urgently reduce, even eliminate, the use of plastic,” he said.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park this weekend, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a theme food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances. Pokemon Go Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as photo attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs. Pokemon trainers could also experience the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area. Three PokeStops are to be set up in the park. Trainers are invited to take
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