The upstream migration of hundreds of bighead carp in an artificial channel at Bitan Dam (碧潭堰) ahead of the laying season is a testament to the success of conservation efforts on the Sindian River (新店溪), New Taipei City Water Resources Department Director Sung Te-jen (宋德仁) said yesterday.
The department in 2015 constructed four short dams downstream of Bitan Dam to create a contiguous stretch of water to reconnect the ecological corridor that was severed during the construction of the main dam, Sung said.
The creation of the artificial channel at the dam furthered that goal, he said.
Photo: Wong Yu-huang, Taipei Times
The department recorded 63 fish species, as well as 10 shrimp and crab species, in the area from May 2022 to December last year, he said.
Rainfall levels last week and warmer temperatures have prompted fish to migrate upriver to procreate, and underwater camera footage showed a record number of fish in the artificial channel, the department said.
The public can observe the fish migration in person, it said.
Photo: Wong Yu-huang, Taipei Times
To prevent poaching, the department has contracted security personnel to patrol the channel at all times, it said, adding that a ban on fishing applies within 100m downstream of Bitan Dam.
National Tsing Hua University professor emeritus Tzeng Chyng-shyan (曾晴賢) said that the city government’s monitoring of the river’s ecology via the cameras has helped increase upstream fish migration.
A ban on activities in or near the river in the vicinity of the dam has provided a safe habitat for its fauna, Tzeng said.
In February the department recorded the upriver migration of sweetfish, it said, adding that it expects mitten crabs to be active next month.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
RSS