Environment

Cargo ship aground on Taiwan’s east coast

general cargo ship Uniprofit aground on east coast of Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A Belize-flagged freighter has run aground on the coast of Taitung County, and authorities are preparing equipment and personnel in case of an oil spill today, Tuesday, March 8. The 6,653 gross ton Uniprofit was en route from Yantai, China to Bahudopi, Indonesia carrying general cargo in 149 20-foot containers when it lost power off the east coast of Taiwan. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration received a report that the vessel was around one nautical mile off the coast without power

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Bulk carrier breaks moorings, collides with container ship, runs aground at Port of Taichung

Bulk carrier Xiang Fu aground at Port of Taichung, Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A Panamanian-registered bulk carrier was successfully refloated after mooring lines broke, causing it to drift and collide with another vessel, before running aground in shallow water yesterday, February 20. The 27,792-gross-ton Xiang Fu was docked and unloading cement clinker at Pier 44 at the Port of Taichung when 50 knot (Beaufort Scale 8) winds, described as the level of a moderate typhoon, caused the cable lines to break, and the ship to lose its moorings. The Xiang Fu collided with

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Rare pygmy sperm whale dies after stranding on Taiwan’s west coast

pygmy sperm whale
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A rarely seen in Taiwan pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) died despite rescue efforts after stranding on a beach in Chiayi County this morning, Sunday, February 13. A fisherman found the pygmy sperm whale stranded on a beach in Budai Township at around 8:00 am. The fisherman reported the stranding to the local branch of the National Coast Guard Administration. Coast guard officers contacted the National Cheng Kung University Marine Biology and Cetacean Research Center, and attempted to keep the

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3 rough-toothed dolphins stranded on New Taipei City beach released after 3 days rehabilitation

Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Three dolphins found stranded on a beach in New Taipei City’s Bali District, Wednesday, were released in waters off the coast of Keelung City, after spending two days in a cetacean rehabilitation center. The one male and two female rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) were reported stranded on Waizaiwei Beach on the morning of February 9. Personnel from the New Taipei City Government Animal Protection Department, Coast Guard, and Taiwan Cetacean Society responded to the report. Due to bad weather and

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Oil tanker listing in Port of Kaohsiung after collision with breakwater

oil tanker listing at Port of Kaohsiung
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A 42,000 ton oil tanker began to take on water after colliding with a breakwater at the Port of Kaohsiung and damaging its hull, but there is little chance of oil pollution port authorities say. According to reports today, February 4, the Danish-flagged oil products tanker TORM EMILIE (IMO: 9277785) was entering the port on Tuesday, February 1, when it collided with the south dike breakwater, causing a hull breach, the harbor bureau said. The outer shell of the hull

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Live leatherback turtle found stranded on beach entangled in fishing nets

stranded turtle entangled in discarded fishing nets
Animals Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A live leatherback turtle was sent to National Taiwan Ocean University for medical treatment after being found stranded on New Taipei City beach yesterday, February 1. Coast Guard personnel were dispatched to Fulong Beach in Gongliao District after National Coast Guard Administration received reports of a large sea turtle seen entangled in discarded fishing nets and stranded on the beach at around 10:00 am. Coast Guard officers found the animal to be a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a species

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Taiwanese white dolphin in critical danger of extinction: threats to habitat increasing

coast guard officers with dead dolphin
Animals Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Marine conservationists sounded a warning that the Taiwanese white dolphin is seriously threatened with extinction during a press conference held by environmental protection groups at the Legislative Yuan following the discovery of a dead dolphin on Taiwan’s west coast last week. Experts in the field of marine biology pointed out that there were only about 60 individuals left of the only subspecies of dolphin endemic to Taiwan (Sousa chinensis taiwanensis). After being first described in 2002, the Taiwanese white dolphin was

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3 new active geological faults identified in Taiwan, bringing total to 36

2021 fault line map of the central geological survey Taiwan
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Three new active geological faults have been identified in central and southern Taiwan, the Central Geological Survey of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced yesterday, January 4. The Chuxiang Fault, Kouxiaoli Fault and Chegualin Fault, are located in Nantou County, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City, and bring the total number of active fault lines identified in Taiwan to 36, the CGS said. The definition of “active faults,” according to the CGS, are “faults that have been active since the late

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Belize-registered ship aground in Penghu Islands after drifting crewless for four days

composite image showing ship aground and map of location
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

A general cargo ship has run aground on a reef in the Penghu Islands, after the crew abandoned ship off the coast of northern Taiwan on December 24. The Belize-flagged, 499-gross tonnage general cargo ship HOMAO lost power due to flooding in its cabin and issued a distress signal at approximately 8 o’clock in the morning of the 24th, 52 nautical miles from Keelung. The crew of nine abandoned ship a short time later. On the evening of the 24th,

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Container ship damaged after crashing into wharf at Port of Taichung

damaged bow of container ship Asiatic Sun
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A container ship appears to have sustained serious damage after crashing into a wharf at Taichung Port this morning, Sunday, December 26. Taichung Port authorities said that the container ship Asiatic Sun crashed into the Taichung Port Pier 8A as it was attempting to dock at 7:33 am. The Singapore-flagged 1,049 TEU Asiatic Sun is a 143 meter-long vessel with a gross tonnage of 9,610 tons, and was built in 2008 in Busan, Korea. The Maritime Port Bureau of the

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Pumice from Ogasawara Islands volcano appears on Taiwan’s north coast: nuclear power plants on guard

pumice at keelung
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Volcanic pumice originating in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan has drifted to Taiwan’s north coast, and both maritime authorities and the Atomic Energy Council are taking precautions. Eruptions in the Micronesian island group, which includes Iwo Jima, began on August 13, producing enormous drifts of the floating stones that began to clog ports in Okinawa and other parts of Japan last month. See previous story: Volcanic activity, seismic shifts: WWII ships from Battle of Iwo Jima raised from watery graves

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