A lack of typhoons to cool waters off the south of Taiwan have resulted in severe coral bleaching, the Ocean Conservation Administration said yesterday as it issued a level 2 alert over the issue.
The agency surveyed 20 areas near the coast of Taiwan proper, as well as off Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), it said, adding that it issued a level 1 alert for areas in northern Taiwan, where it found only sporadic bleaching.
Level 2 alerts were issued for all of the areas it assessed in the south, with the exception of Jihuei Fishing Port (基翬漁港) in Taitung County’s Chenggong Township (成功), which had mild to moderate bleaching, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Conservation Administration via CNA
“In much of the country the bleaching is happening where the water depth is around 2m, at which depth the coral is more affected by sunlight and human activities,” the agency said. “At depths of 3m, there has been mild bleaching, with some heat-sensitive coral species being moderately bleached.”
The issue is concerning because if coral start to die then fish near the shore will be without a habitat and will move away, it said.
Water temperatures of 20°C to 28°C are ideal for coral growth and the only way to bring temperatures back within that range is through long-term carbon emission reductions, it said.
In other news, the owner of the Chu Lung cargo ship — which ran aground off Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州) on Dec. 16, 2018, damaging 377m2 of coral — on Sunday was fined NT$652,967 (US$21,772).
The Kenting National Park Management Office had requested the owner be fined NT$5.8 million due to the extensive damage to marine life, which it said would take 15 years to recover.
This was the first time a fine has been imposed for damaging coral, the office said.
The incident occurred because the ship failed to follow proper procedures, which caused it to deviate from its route, the office said, citing the findings of an investigation.
It was fortunate that there was no oil spill, which would have caused significantly greater damage to the marine environment, it said.
The fine it requested was not unreasonable, the office said, citing a case earlier this month in which an Egyptian court fined the owner of a tourism project on the Giftun Island Reserve US$1.3 million for environmental damage, including the destruction of coral.
However, the court agreed with the lawyer of the ship’s owner who argued that Article 21 of the Maritime Act (海商法) puts a limit on a ship operator’s legal liability, the office said.
The office said it had appealed.
It has also commissioned Academia Sinica researchers to help it study the damaged area and observe the recovery process, it said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS