Environment

Explosion, fire at Formosa Plastics refinery injures 3, causes pollution spike

refinery fire yunlin county
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Three people were injured after an explosion and fire at the Formosa Plastics Mialiao No. 6 refinery in Yunlin County this morning, and the company will be fined for breaches of the Air Pollution Control law. Twenty-three fire trucks and 76 personnel were dispatched from nearby fire stations after reports of the explosion and blaze at around 9:00 am. Yunlin County Fire Department Chief Lin Wen-shan said that the primary combustion material consisted of heavy oil and hydrogen, burning an

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Six megamouth sharks caught in four days: conservation groups call for catch ban

Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , ,

Fishermen operating off the coast of Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast caught six megamouth sharks between June 15 – 18, raising the concerns of environmental groups, who are calling for protection of the mysterious species. Global Knowledge The megamouth shark ( Megachasma pelagios ) was first discovered by scientists in 1976, and named in 1983. According to scientific papers, including this one, only around 100 specimens have been observed or caught as of 2018. When the megamouth sharks are

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Multiple boats destroyed by fire at fishing port

fishing vessels on fire at Yanpu Fishing Port in Pingtung County Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

At least seven boats were destroyed by fire in Yanpu fishing port in Donggang Township, Pingtung County yesterday, including five large ocean going long-liners. The fire started on a tuna fishing boat undergoing repairs in the port at around 4:00 pm, and in windy conditions, the fire quickly spread to other vessels. Electrical wires are suspected to be the cause of the fire, according to a report in Liberty Times. A pall of thick, black smoke could be seen as

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Volunteers wanted for annual Taiwan national cleanup event June 13

volunteers clean trash from beach
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Organizers of the 4th annual Taiwan National Cleanup hope that more than 1,000 volunteers will show up to pick up 10,000 kilograms of trash from the beaches, national parks, and countryside of Taiwan. Organized by Taiwan Adventure Outings (TAO), and WRAPTIE™, cleanup groups will gather at 22 locations around Taiwan on Saturday, June 13. Past cleanup events organized by the group have seen a total of 2,000 volunteers pick up around 20,000 kilograms of trash, a TNCU press release said.

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Hot weather, low oxygen causes fish kills in Taipei rivers

clean up crew collects dead fish in Taipei City river
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Hot weather and low levels of dissolved oxygen have caused fish to die in their thousands in the rivers of Greater Taipei, according the Taipei City and New Taipei City environmental protection bureaus. The EPAs tested water and found no evidence of toxicity or pollution, but oxygen levels of 2.47 mg/l. Continuous hot weather and lack of rain has caused levels of dissolved oxygen in the rivers to drop, according to inspectors. Fish kills have been reported in the Dahan,

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Rescued baby dolphin dies despite rehabilitation attempts

dolphin in rehabilitation pool
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A young juvenile Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) died in a rehabilitation pool in Keelung City yesterday, after being found stranded on the coast at Su’ao, on Taiwan’s north-east coast. Coast guard officers notified Taiwan Cetacean Society at around noon on April 1 that an injured juvenile Risso’s dolphin was stranded on a beach near Su’ao Harbor. A veterinarian identified wounds suspected to be caused by a cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis). The dolphin was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Keelung

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Whale shark rescued after stranding on Green Island

whale shark stranded on Green Island, Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Up to twenty people helped to keep a 7-meter-long whale shark alive before pushing it back into the sea on Green Island, in a difficult rescue operation involving Coast Guard officers, marine scientists, and members of the general public, yesterday, December 22. Coast Guard officers on Green Island received a report at around 4:30 pm that a large whale shark was seen stranded on rocks at Sleeping Beauty Rock Beach. When coast guard officers arrived at the scene, residents of

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Hiker rescued after 10-day search

man rescued after 10 day ordeal lost in the mountains
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A man reported missing after failing to return from a hike November 10 was rescued after meeting a search party at a remote location in Pingtung County this morning, November 20. Song Rui-xiong, 60, was reported missing by his family on November 11, after he failed to return from a 1 day hike to the top of Pingding Mountain in Pingtung County. Search and rescue personnel located Song’s car at the trail head and began a ground and air search

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12 missing after ship sinks, another overturns in the Taiwan Strait

overturned ship in the Taiwan Strait
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Thirteen people were rescued and 12 are still missing after one gravel ship sank and another overturned in the middle of the Taiwan Strait yesterday, October 6. Taiwan’s National Rescue Command Center received a distress call from the vessels early yesterday morning. A Coast Guard vessel was dispatched from Penghu, Taiwan to assist in the search and rescue operation. Other vessels and a helicopter were dispatched from China, while a fixed wing aircraft from Hong Kong also assisted. According to

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Stranded ship left to mercy of typhoon after towing operation aborted

ship aground on Yilan coast
Marine and Fisheries Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

As Typhoon Mitag bears down on Taiwan’s northeast coast, harbor authorities decided to abort an operation to tow a 1,000 tonne freighter off the rocky shore at Daxi Harbor, Yilan County, yesterday, after an inspection team found that the hull had already been breached and had taken on water. The crewless, nameless, freighter ran aground Saturday, September 28, after drifting into Taiwan waters from the Yangtze River via the sea of Japan. Maritime authorities believe that the ship had been

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Ghost ship runs aground in Yilan County as tropical storm approaches

ship aground in Yilan County, Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A crewless Chinese freighter first spotted drifting off the coast of northeastern Taiwan yesterday, September 27, ran aground on a rocky shoreline outside Daxi Fishing Harbor in Yilan County today, September 28. According to United Daily News, Japanese authorities alerted Taiwan about the drifting ship Thursday, September 26, after it was spotted in Japanese waters. Japan also contacted maritime authorities in China, but received no response from the Chinese. Taiwan coast guard ships yesterday intercepted the ship 15.7 nautical miles

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