A bounty of NT$300 (US$10.16) for each hunted crown-of-thorns starfish is being considered to address the proliferation of coral-reef killers in waters off Penghu County’s Cimei Township (七美), the Penghu County Water Recreation Activities Association said on Sunday.
A marine conservation volunteer team in Penghu County last week warned of a surge in crown-of-thorns starfish populations around Cimei Island, reporting sightings of more than 100 of them — some nearly 40cm — along three 100m survey lines in Yueli Bay (月鯉灣).
In response, Penghu County Councilor Chang Jen-ho (張仁和) urged authorities to propose solutions, while the association said it is considering the NT$300 bounty to encourage public participation in the removal effort.
Photo courtesy of the Penghu County Water Recreation Activities Association
Island 77 founder Yeh Sheng-hung (葉生弘) likened crown-of-thorns starfish to “vampires” that prey on coral reefs.
He said the starfish use their tube feet to consume large numbers of coral polyps and have caused widespread damage to coral ecosystems around Taiwan over the past few years.
Yeh cited the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) as an example, where authorities have spent more than NT$10 million over the past three years on labor, equipment, technology, transportation, food and accommodation in efforts to remove rampant crown-of-thorns starfish.
Therefore, a removal campaign should be initiated in Cimei Township as soon as possible, otherwise the sea surrounding the Penghu Islands could face serious damage within a year, he said.
“I’m willing to initiate a campaign to counterattack the crown-of-thorns starfish invasion around the Penghu Islands, but funding is essential, as my individual commitment would not be enough,” Yeh said.
He invited companies to support the initiative as part of their environmental, social and governance commitments, adding that he would provide daily updates to sponsors, reporting the number of starfish removed.
The association yesterday also called on the government to recognize the severity of the issue and allocate funds from its reserve budget before the situation worsens.
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