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.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS