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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Beached animal numbers increasing
Coast guard officers and other people in Yilan County on Tuesday care for a green sea turtle that was found stranded on a beach. Photo copied by Chiang Chih-hsiung, Taipei Times
TROUBLED WATERS: Of the 103 sea turtles found in the first quarter, nearly 20% sustained injuries from improper fishing activities, prompting a crackdown
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
The number of marine animals stranded on the nation’s beaches has been increasing, with 43 more sea turtles found during the first quarter of this year than in the period a year earlier, the Ocean Conservation Administration （OCA） said on Tuesday, adding that improper fishing has threatened wildlife.
The agency released its first report on stranded sea turtles, whales and dolphins following its establishment in April last year as an agency under the Ocean Affairs Council, OCA official Ko Yuan-chuan （柯勇全） said.
In the first three months of this year, 103 sea turtles were found stranded on beaches, 82 of which were dead, agency data showed.
Among them, 95 were green sea turtles, mostly found on the beaches of New Taipei City, Taitung County and Penghu County, the data showed.
Nearly 20 percent of the turtles’ injuries resulted from improper fishing activities, as 19 of the dead turtles were accidentally caught by fishers, three were entangled by abandoned fishing nets and two were killed after colliding with ships, the agency said.
Autopsies found plastic debris in the stomachs of 15 turtles, it added.
The first quarter of this year saw 43 more stranded turtles than the same period last year and 40 more than the average amount in the same period from 2016 to last year, it said.
Meanwhile, 50 beached whales and dolphins — 47 dead and three living — were reported from January to last month, among which most were finless porpoises and bottlenose dolphins, it said.
The whales and dolphins were mostly found in Lienchiang, Kinmen, Penghu and Changhua counties, it said.
The number of stranded whales and dolphins in the first quarter decreased by 18 compared with the same period last year, but increased by nine compared with the average recorded in the same period from 2016 to last year, it said.
The reason for the increase has not yet been determined, the agency said, adding that an increase in reporting by the public, climate change and increasing human impact are all possible reasons.
As improper fishing practices are the most obvious causes of injury to the animals, the OCA would work with relevant agencies to crack down on illegal fishing, especially gillnetting, Ko said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
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