Microplastic contamination has been found in 100 percent of the water samples collected from Jiaming Lake (嘉明湖) in Taitung County, the second-highest mountain lake in Taiwan and a main source of drinking water for the Formosan sambar deer, a protected species, a study released on Sunday by Greenpeace found.
Microplastics were also detected in up to 80 percent of the water samples collected from other sources along the hiking trail to Jiaming Lake, which sits at an elevation of 3,310m, the global environmental organization said in a statement.
The Formosan sambar deer, a subspecies of the sambar found in the high mountains, is Taiwan’s largest herbivore, and was listed as a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法) because it was driven to the verge of extinction by hunting and the destruction of its natural habitat.
Photo courtesy of the Taitung Forest District Office
Given that adult deer weigh about 150kg and medium mammals consume about 30 cubic centimeters of water per kilogram of body weight per day, the Formosan sambar at Jiaming Lake could consume about 80 microplastic particles per day, Greenpeace said.
Microplastics are any type of plastic fragment less than 5mm long that pollute the environment.
Microplastic particles are found in bodies of water and on land, and could potentially harm protected animal species, Greenpeace project director Tang An (唐安) said, adding that more should be done to reduce the use of plastics to better protect endangered animals.
A Greenpeace research team in July collected 15 samples from the deer’s water sources and 31 samples of deer feces along the Jiaming Lake National Trail (嘉明湖國家步道) and the Tataka (塔塔加) area on Yushan (玉山), the highest peak in Taiwan at an altitude of 3,952m.
Microplastics were detected in more than 30 percent of the feces samples collected in the Tataka area, the study’s highest detection rate, Greenpeace said.
This was the first study released by Greenpeace on the effects of microplastics on endemic animal species, the organization said, adding that it would be used in further research about the effects of microplastics on the terrestrial ecosystem.
‘FRIENDSHIP FLEET’: A CGA official is scheduled to meet with the president of the Pacific nation, while one of the ships is to host a banquet and National Day event Two Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol vessels have docked at Malakal Harbor in Palau as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, the agency said yesterday. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu, set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived on Tuesday at Malakal Harbor, the CGA’s Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marks the second time the CGA has dispatched a “friendship fleet” to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien and
A patrol vessel donated by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) to the Philippines was commissioned into the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday, a Philippine non-governmental organization said. The CGA on Sept. 16 confirmed media reports that Taiwan had donated a retired 500-tonne patrol vessel to the Philippines. The Manila-based We Protect Our Seas (WPS) foundation, which served as an intermediary in the transfer, said that the vessel was formerly the CGA’s 500-tonne petrol vessel Kinmen (CG123). The WPS, in a statement issued on Friday, said the vessel, renamed as the BRP Sarangani, had been commissioned into the PCG the
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) today said that two of its patrol vessels have docked at Palau's Malakal Harbor as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with the Palauan president. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi (嘉義) and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu (澎湖), set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived at Malakal Harbor yesterday, the CGA's Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marked the second time the CGA has dispatched a "Friendship Fleet" to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien (花蓮)
Had I Not Seen the Sun (如果我不曾見過太陽), a coming-of-age mystery romance, yesterday won best series at the Seoul International Drama Awards in South Korea. The show's producer, Phoebe Ma (麻怡婷), accepted the award on behalf of the production team. "Telling this story was difficult," Ma said. "There were moments when I doubted my strength to keep going, but I never doubted the story itself." Ma went on to thank the cast and crew of the show for making the win possible. Released in two parts on Netflix at the end of last year, the 20-episode drama starred Tseng Jing-hua (曾敬驊) and Alice Ko (柯佳嬿). The
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