Fisherman Chang Wen-tien (張文田) on Thursday caught a 6kg albino bighead carp near the Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan.
Chang attributed the catch to a large earthquake on the same day, saying: “It must have been scared out of hiding.”
Bighead carp are often seen in the reservoir, with some growing to immense sizes, Chang said.
Photo: Hsu Cho-hsun, Taipei Times
However, they are usually black or multi-hued, he said.
The carp he caught was not particularly large, but its color was spectacular, he said.
It was probably startled out of hiding by the quake and swam headlong into his stationary trap, he said.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan at 5:28am that morning, with its epicenter 36.5km southeast of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 22.5km, Central Weather Bureau data showed.
In Taoyuan, the quake’s intensity registered level 4, bureau data showed.
“The older generation said that it was auspicious to catch a rare fish,” Chang said.
Its golden coloring was because of albinism, he said, citing experts he consulted.
It was the first time in his three decades of fishing in the area that he has seen a carp with such coloring, he said.
Local fishers and others took photographs with the carp, prompting Chang to say he had became a one-day celebrity.
He was still elated over the experience, he said.
The carp had multiple injuries and would only survive for two or three days in captivity, so Chang took it home, where it made an excellent meal, he said.
Carp are delicious deep-fried or braised, he said, adding that there are great carp meals at most Shihmen area freshwater fish restaurants.
Additional reporting by CNA
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS