| Man builds ‘workshop’ to save fish | |
| By Kayleigh Madjar |
Source: Taiwan News |
9/14/2021 |
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Man builds ‘workshop’ to save fish
SMALL, BUT DESERVING: A 4.8cm species that vanished from Taiwan proper 100 years ago only exists on Kinmen, where a conservationist created a reserve to save them
By Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNA
A conservationist in Kinmen County is determined to save species of fish endemic to the islands, no matter the size.
Chen Kuang-yao (陳光耀), director of the Kinmen Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Association, has dedicated himself to saving the many unique species that live in and around the outlying islands.
He has recently turned his sights to Metzia mesembrinum, a type of minnow, which Chen said is “nothing special,” but faces imminent extinction. |
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The freshwater fish cloaked in subdued browns and grays grows as long as 4.8cm, but only in Taiwan.
It disappeared from Taiwan proper more than a century ago, leaving Kinmen as the only place where it can be found in the wild.
Chen said that there are only about 10,000 left, primarily in the Guangcian (光前溪) and Doumen (斗門溪) creeks.
Yet in the short time between Chen’s last two surveys, it appears as though they have already disappeared from Doumen Creek, mainly due to drought conditions.
Kinmen has been experiencing its worst drought in 50 years, posing a threat to many aquatic species, Chen said on Tuesday last week.
Farmers have been rerouting what little water there is to irrigate their crops, leaving none for the fish, he said. |
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