Coral reefs around Taiwan are still under threat, Greenpeace said yesterday, urging the government to act more aggressively on the matter.
Greenpeace last year launched a project to document changes to reefs.
Data compiled over the past six months showed that 60 percent of the coral reefs being monitored in Taiwan are dying due to continuous bleaching, as was observed last summer, project director Chiu Tsung-jung (邱聰榮) said.
Photo courtesy of Greenpeace Taiwan via CNA
Bleaching last year, which was the worst since Taiwan began keeping records in the 1980s, was due to global warming and a lack of typhoons, Chiu said.
The reefs being monitored seem not to have recovered from last year and are covered in algae, which indicates death, he said.
The reefs are in areas where the worst bleaching occurred last year, including Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) and the Kenting (墾丁) area in Pingtung County, and Taitung County’s Green Island (綠島).
The optimal temperature for coral growth is 20°C to 28°C, while bleaching occurs below 18°C or above 30°C, experts say.
The Greenpeace project found that the temperatures of the water in the monitored areas was 30°C to 31°C in general, Chiu said.
The government must set stricter carbon reduction targets, which will help control ocean temperatures and preserve corals reefs, he said.
Extensive research on Taiwan’s coral reefs will also be required to devise a more effective protection plan, Chiu said.
Fan Tung-yung (樊同雲), a coral reef researcher at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, said that the central and local governments must take aggressive action to stop the bleaching.
“There should be more marine conservation areas, particularly near Siaoliouciou Island,” Fan said.
Hsu Chia-chuan (許家銓), a diving coach on Green Island who participated in the reef monitoring program, said he was saddened by the condition of Taiwan’s reefs.
“I was in tears when I saw the bleached coral reefs,” Hsu said. “I felt so helpless.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that coral reefs worldwide are likely to decline by 70 to 90 percent if the global average surface temperature increases by 1.5°C above pre-industrial times, and they would all be lost if it rises by 2°C.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS