Marine and Fisheries

Green Island Tainted by Oil Spill

oil contamination Green Island March 10, 2017
Environment Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

At least 8 kilometers of coastline on Green Island in Taitung County has been contaminated by heavy oil, according to reports verified by coast guard officials stationed on the island. Liberty Times Network reported that reports of the oil spill began around 7:00pm March 10. Taitung Environmental Protection Bureau sent a team to investigate the oil spill. Saturday morning March 11, investigators found that around 10 kilometers, or around one-third of the island’s coastline had been contaminated by heavy oil.

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Another Rare Porpoise Found Dead: Two in Four Days

dead finless porpoise in Wanli District Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The carcass of an Indo-Pacific finless porpoise was found washed up on the coast of New Taipei City’s Wanli District, at around 5:00pm on the evening of February 3. It is the second member of the vulnerable species to be found dead in just four days. Eight Indo-Pacific finless porpoises were recorded washed up on the coast of Taiwan in the eighteen years between 1998 and 2016. A juvenile female was found on a beach in Shimen District of New

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Rare Porpoise Washed Up On New Taipei City Beach

Indo-Pacific finless porpoise
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The remains of a rarely-seen Indo-Pacific finless porpoise was found washed up on a beach in New Taipei City’s Shimen District yesterday, January 31. Members of Taiwan Cetacean Society, along with officials from New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, identified the animal as a one year old juvenile female. They estimated it had been dead about 2 days. The body showed signs of injury, but it is unknown if it was injured before it died, or damaged

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Crew Airlifted Off Stricken Freighter Near Kaohsiung

A Panamanian registered vessel sinks off the coast of Taiwan January 14, 2017
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The crew of a Panamanian-registered cargo vessel was airlifted to safety when the ship listed and started to sink 26 miles west of Kaohsiung this morning, January 14, 2017. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported that the National Rescue Command Center received a mayday message at 10:42am this morning. An airforce EC225 helicopter was dispatched to airlift the 13-person Indonesian nationality crew. The ship appears to belong to Chinese shipping company Guandong Tongcheng Shipping.

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Giant Manta Rays Caught and Killed: Captain Identified

two giant manta rays are seen at a fishmarket in Kaohsiung
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The captain of a Taiwan fishing vessel will face a fine after failing to report the capture and deaths of 2 giant manta rays, which are listed as a vulnerable species by International Union for Conservation of Nature. Photos of the bloodied carcases of the manta rays laid on the ground at a fish market in Kaohsiung began to circulate on social media January 1, and were widely reported in Taiwan’s media January 3. Police interviewed the owner of a

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Survivor Found in Overturned Fishing Boat

The overturned fishing vessel Jinrui yi number 88 is seen after drifting aground at Shimen in New Taipei City
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

[Picture: United Daily News] A fisherman was rescued after surviving 38 hours in the overturned hull of a fishing vessel Sunday morning, December 11. The body of the captain was recovered later the same day. Jinrui Yi No. 88, with a crew of 8, sailed out of Keelung Harbor December 7 to fish for shrimp off the coast of Hsinchu County. The vessel overturned in big waves while rounding Cape Fukuei on its way back to port, Friday evening December

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Oil Tanker Safe: Thanks to Japanese Horsepower.

Kang Yun oil tanker freed after being run aground
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Photo: Taiwan Coastguard. The 40,407 gross ton oil tanker Kang-yun, carrying 20,000 kiloliters of aviation fuel, along with heavy oil, and diesel fuel was dragged off the seabed today, after being grounded since December 1, 2016. The CNPC tanker Kang Yun ran aground Thursday morning, due to a combination of mechanical failure and bad weather, according to various reports in Taiwan’s Chinese language media. On Thursday, harbor officials downplayed the seriousness of the incident and assured the public that the

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Grounded Oil Tanker has Crack in Hull: No need to worry, say authorities

the grounded oil tanker Kang Yun
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An oil tanker that ran aground on the north coast of Taiwan, on the morning of December 1, has a crack in the hull, and is taking water, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA). The vessel Kang Yun, carrying 20,000 kiloliters of Aviation fuel, as well as diesel and heavy oil ran aground at around 9:00am, Thursday morning (Taiwan time: GMT+8). Harbor authorities on Thursday assured the public that there was nothing to worry about, and that tugs would

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EPA on Standby: Tanker Aground Won’t Budge

Oil tanker aground New Taipei City
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

[Cover Picture: United Daily News] New Taipei City: The Environmental Protection Agency is on standby, and monitoring the grounded oil tanker Kang-yun after tugs failed to move the 40, 407 gross-ton ship at high tide yesterday afternoon. Harbor officials yesterday appeared confident the ship would be moved. They said only the ships stern sat on the sandy bottom. The EPA yesterday also attempted to allay public fears of an oil spill. They pointed out that the double-hulled ship had little

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Oil Tanker Aground on Taipei Coast

oil tanker aground near shore New Taipei City
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

An CNPC oil tanker carrying 20,000 kiloliters of aviation gas ran aground on the coast of New Taipei City this morning, and is currently sitting less than 200 meters from shore. Tugs have been sent to attempt to tow the ship offshore at high-tide. The ship ran aground at Ruibin at around 9:00am. According to a harbor bureau section chief, the ship was preparing to enter Shen-ao Harbor when the crew miscalculated the depth at low tide. Harbor authorities said

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Litter Found in Stomachs of Dolphinfish

plastic litter found after being consumed by fish caught in Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , ,

The manager of a fish-processing plant uploaded pictures to social media yesterday, after finding a a plastic ring, plastic straw, and other foreign objects in a fishes’ stomach. He hopes that the pictures will draw attention to the problem of environmental pollution. Chen Jun-jie has been working in the seafood industry for more than 20 years, and said that recently there have been more cases of discarded objects found in fish stomachs. Objects found recently include plastic straws, rubber bands,

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