The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) yesterday warned the public against catching protected marine species, after a fisher in Taitung County allegedly killed an endangered humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus).
The humphead wrasse, also known as the Maori fish or Napoleon fish, is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species.
The fisher, surnamed Lee (李), on Monday posted on a Line chat room two photographs of himself with a dead humphead wrasse that he had allegedly caught, the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported yesterday.
Photo: CNA
He could be seen giving the thumbs-up sign in one of the photos, the newspaper said.
Lee left the chat room after his friends told him that his action might be illegal, the newspaper reported.
The OCA in a news release on Tuesday said that it on Monday received reports of the incident from the public, along with screen captures of the photos, adding that it immediately notified the Coast Guard Administration and the Taitung Department of Agriculture to investigate the matter.
Coast guard personnel later on Tuesday found Lee, who said he did catch the fish, but did not know it was a protected species, adding that he had dumped the carcass in the sea, the OCA said.
The species is often found in waters off the coast of southern and southeastern Taiwan, OCA Deputy Director-General Wu Long-jing (吳龍靜) said.
There were estimated to be only four humphead wrasses near Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) before Lee allegedly killed one of them, Wu said.
There are fewer than 30 humphead wrasses in waters near Taiwan, Academia Sinica research fellow Jeng Ming-shiou (鄭明修) said, citing surveys conducted over the past decades.
Judging from the photos shared by the suspect, Taitung Agriculture Department Director Hsu Chia-hao (許家豪) said Lee might have harpooned the fish in its pectoral fin and tail fin.
Following questioning, Lee was directed to the Taitung District Prosecutors’ Office for suspected contraventions of the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), the OCA said.
The prosecutors’ office yesterday said it summoned Lee and another man, surnamed Hsieh (謝), for questioning.
While the animal’s carcass has not been yet found, prosecutors are collecting evidence to build a case against the men, the office said.
People who are caught harassing, abusing, hunting, killing or otherwise utilizing protected wildlife can face a prison term of six months to five years, or a fine of NT$200,000 to NT$1 million (US$7,045 to US$35,224), the OCA said.
Additional reporting by Huang Ming-tang
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
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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
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