After a three-year fishing ban, the Yulo Creek in Hsinchu County's Chienshih township is once again full of kooey. The silver color of these fish shine as the sun hits the water -- dubbed "daytime fireflies" by locals.
The replenished fish stocks can be attributed to the Atayal people's new awareness of the need for environmental protection, as well as their achievements in this regard.
Kooey used to flourish upstream in most of the nation's rivers. But over-fishing nearly wiped out the kooey altogether, so much so that sightings of the fish dropped to nearly zero.
PHOTO: LINDY YEH, TAIPEI TIMES
Hsinle (
In an effort to save the kooey population, villagers in the lower settlement have committed themselves to patrolling the 2 km section upstream of the Yulo Creek. Upper settlement members on the other hand assume the responsibility of guarding the Peide-laman virgin forest, located within its traditional territory. Since the creek flows past the lower Shuitien settlement, its members took on the duty of patrolling the creek after March 2001, when the county government approved the township administration's application for a general ban of fishing within the township.
"The natural resources in our village are not as abundant as in other tourist areas. We hope to attack tourists with our scenic hiking trails in the mountains and the clear river water in our village," Hsinle village chief Lee Tzu-chiang (
PHOTO: LINDY YEH, TAIPEI TIMES
There are two patrolling stations in the settlement along the riverbank to monitor the creek. Adults living in the lower Shuitien settlement have to take shifts from 6pm to 12am to patrol the 2 km section of the creek and guard against illegal fishing, Lee said.
Since the village is very small, everyone knows everyone else, and except for illegal fishing, hunting and logging, there is virtually no crime. The safety of women and elderly people while patrolling the creek has not been an issue.
Now, after three years of enforcing the fishing ban, kooey numbers have recovered and the fish are easily spotted in the creek.
This makes Tanah Tazih (
"It was not an easy task to persuade all the villagers at the beginning," Tanah said. "In order to show them the fruits conservation work would bring to us, we organized a trip to the Tanaiku Creek (which passes through Chiayi County's Alishan township)," he noted.
The Tsou people's effort to recover the Tanaiku Creek has attracted numerous tourists, and is cited as a model for the Taiwan's Aboriginal villages, which are ambitious in developing their own tourist industries.
Tourism development is the driving force behind the growing number of guest houses in Taiwan's aboriginal areas, mostly in and around the nation's mountains and rivers, which boast some magnificent views.
"Our people have gradually understood the advantages of this recovery work. Not only have they been willing to undertake river patrolling duty, but illegal fishing has virtually fallen to zero," Tanah said.
Peer pressure, and the general enthusiasm for the conservation effort helped deter illegal fishing, Tanah said.
"If your nephew is patrolling the river, will you challenge his duty to stop fishing in the creek?" Tanah asked.
Tanah noted that the Yulo Creek used to be home to numerous kooey, shrimp and eel species. The traditional Atayal way of catching fish was not a threat to the sustainability of fish stocks, but modern fishing methods almost wiped out the aquatic resources of the river entirely.
Getting wind of the villagers' conservation achievements, the central government appropriated a total of NT$16 million in funding to help develop the village's tourism industry. NT$7 million has been is budgeted for the creek's natural disaster prevention project and the rest will be used to build a pedestrian pavement along the riverbank.
The fishing ban in Chienshih township will expire in 2006, but the Yulo Creek is already so full of fish that the township administration is applying for fishing licenses in certain locations. The Hsinchu County Government has also given full support to the township's initiative, but it needs final approval from the Council of Agriculture (COA).
"The village's tourism initiatives are deserving and may attract a lot of fishing enthusiasts," said Chang Chin-ti (
Expecting a green light from the COA, Hsinle village is planning to organize a fishing festival for children in the village and visitors to compete in the traditional Atayal method of fish shooting.
Knowing that scenery and landscape alone are not enough to attract the nation's fickle tourists, some Atayal people are aware of the need to develop Atayal cuisine.
Making full use of the sweet fish and fragrant plants traditionally used by the Atayal people, some restaurants in this area have created Atayal-style food.
The Shuitienshan Restaurant overlooking the creek is one example. It has succeeded in luring many patrons from nearby districts on weekend visits.
Impatiently waiting for the COA nod to allow fishing, restaurant owner Washia Leisa (許淑琴) expects to serve kooey dishes in the near future.
"My younger brother is an outstanding fisherman," she said. "He can't wait to catch kooey for his own pleasure as well as for my restaurant."
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