Kinmen County’s Eurasian otters, which are endangered, have enough genomic diversity to remain a healthy species, and the introduction of foreign otters is unnecessary for now, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said on Thursday.
Once the most widespread apex predator of freshwater habitats in Europe and Asia, the Eurasian otter’s population has dwindled due to the effects of human activity and habitat loss since the 1950s, the agency said.
As a result of the fragmentation of their habitats, the Eurasian otter has branched into three subgroups with distinct genetic and physiological traits, such as those in the population in Kinmen, it said.
Photo courtesy of Kinmen County Government
Although some experts have raised concerns that the population of otters in Kinmen was too small to be genetically viable, a recent study commissioned by the agency has shown that to not be the case, it said.
The study, coauthored by National Taiwan Normal University life science professor Li Shou-Hsien (李壽先), was last month published in the journal Evolutionary Applications.
Although Kinmen’s otter population is small, it displays the most genetic diversity of the three subgroups and represents a geographically and genomically separate unit, the agency said, citing the study.
That means conservation efforts directed at the otters on the islands have to be managed apart from other subgroups to preserve their uniqueness, precluding the use of exogenous otters to bolster their numbers, the agency said.
Additionally, the genomic diversity of the Kinmen otters implies that the population might not be as insular as previously assumed, and that limited interbreeding with outside groups could somehow be taking place, it said.
The agency is carrying out a conservation action plan drafted last year, focusing on addressing habitat loss, deaths by vehicles and dogs, medical care, captive breeding and research, it said.
The study would be utilized to guide the plan’s implementation, it said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS