Officials at Wuling Farm said yesterday that, in an effort to help save the the Formosan landlocked salmon which breeds nearby, they had reclaimed most of the land that had been leased to fruit and vegetable farmers.
Water pollution caused by the pesticides used by fruit and vegetable growers in the area over the years has been blamed as one of the reasons behind the decline in the population of the rare fish.
The Veterans Affairs Commission -- the owner of Wuling Farm -- has steadily reduced the amount of land leased to fruit and vegetable growers over the past several years as the nation's awareness of environmental issues has improved.
To date, according to the Wuling Farm management, only 40 hectares of land is still leased to farmers, and this will be reclaimed as soon as possible for reforestation.
Wuling Farm officials said that there are four categories of fish endemic to the Chichiawan stream area, which is part of the Sheipa National Park in central Taiwan. Of the four kinds of fish, the Formosan landlocked salmon, an endangered species endemic to Taiwan, is the most prominent, as it has been recognized as a subspecies of the cherry salmon, a throwback from the last Ice Age.
The salmon became landlocked during the glacial epoch in frigid mountain streams, and its discovery in Taiwan, a subtropical island, is regarded by biologists as "a miracle."
Similar species are also found, although in much colder areas, in Japan, South Korea and northeastern China.
Wuling Farm officials said that in compliance with the policies of the Sheipa National Park Administration, the farm decided to forsake its economic gains to help protect the environment and conserve endangered species.
Despite the government's conservation efforts, the number of Formosan landlocked salmon in the Chichiawan stream in the upper stretches of the Tachia River and the lower reaches of the Wuling stream has continued to decline.
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