Taiwan’s Xiao Liuqiu experiences critical decline in fish and coral

台灣小琉球的魚類和珊瑚嚴重減少

Greenpeace study finds tourism to blame for reduction in marine resources in Xiao Liuqiu


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pingtung’s Xiao Liuqiu (小琉球) is experiencing a dramatic decline in fish populations with the health of coral reefs also faltering, according to Greenpeace.

The environmental group visited Xiao Liuqiu in August to conduct marine ecological surveys at six popular coastal recreation spots. The survey revealed declining fish populations and a coral ecosystem that is on the verge of collapse, per Business Today.

Greenpeace Taiwan Project Ocean Director Tommy Chung (鍾孟勳) said?"results of this survey show that Xiao Liuqiu's marine resources are on the verge of depletion. If the current situation continues, Xiao Liuqiu's precious tourist assets may soon disappear."

Greenpeace conducted a basic ecological survey, including quantitative observations and monitoring at 10 meters underwater. The six recreational areas in the survey included Vase Rock, Lobster Cave, and Shanban Bay.

Survey results showed that fish density along the coast of Xiao Liuqiu was less than one fish per square meter in most recreational spots. Meanwhile, the average length of each fish was also relatively small (5 to 7 cm on average).

Other coral reef ecosystems in Taiwan fared better in terms of fish density. Kenting had five to eight fish per square meter and Green Island had three to six fish per square meter. By contrast, Xiao Liuqiu’s fish population density was just 0.5 to one fish per square meter.

In addition to fish depletion, the health of corals along Xiao Liuqiu's coast is also a concern. Among the six recreational sites surveyed by Greenpeace, the coral coverage of most sites is less than 30%, and the coral/algae ratio is less than 0.5, which indicates "decline".

Vase Rock is the tourist destination with the lowest coral coverage and a coral/algae ratio that indicates coral that is "incapacitated." Furthermore, coral reef systems around Xiao Liuqiu have shown a tendency for a single dominant species, indicating unbalance.

In response to Xiao Liuqiu's declining marine environment, the Pingtung County Government said it has taken protective measures such as limiting the number of people visiting environmentally protected areas to 300 visitors at a time. It also restricted visitors to walking within a specially designated path at eco-sensitive areas.

The Pingtung County Marine and Fisheries Management Office said restoration of corals and clams started in 2021. Furthermore, the average survival rate for coral under its monitoring was 80%.

Greenpeace said more needs to be done to protect Xiao Liuqiu's marine environment. It suggested speedy pasage of the Marine Conservation Act that could limit damage from activities such as tourism, recreation, and fishing activities.

The act has yet to be voted on by the legislature, further delaying efforts to protect Taiwan’s precious marine environment.