The number of marine organisms on Little Liuqiu has plummeted; visitor access to Shanfu intertidal zone to be restricted starting August

By MOOK Travel Life Net, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

Little Liuqiu in Pingtung County is one of Taiwan’s popular tourist destinations in recent years, but the increasing number of visitors has also impacted the ecology of the intertidal zones. To protect the ecological environment, the Pingtung County Government will begin conducting outreach from now until the end of July, and is expected to announce the implementation of visitor caps in the intertidal zones starting in August. The Shanfu intertidal zone has been selected as the first demonstration area. During July and August, only operators and guides with permits will be allowed to lead tourists into the area. From September onwards, visitor caps will be enforced, with the number of visitors in the demonstration area limited to 300 per hour.

The Pingtung County Government has chosen the most severely damaged Shanfu intertidal zone as the first demonstration area for visitor caps. July will serve as an outreach period, with plans to officially implement the visitor cap policy in August. During July and August, only operators and guides holding permits to enter the demonstration area will be allowed to bring tourists in. From September to November, during the low season, visitor caps will be enforced, with no more than 300 visitors per hour allowed in the demonstration area. Tourists will also be required to stay within designated routes marked by buoys, and staff will arrange for the observation of more than 15 types of intertidal organisms. In addition, starting now, conservation police will conduct outreach and education efforts in the Shanfu intertidal zone. Once the cap policy is officially implemented, violators will face fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.

The Pingtung County Agriculture Department pointed out that Little Liuqiu attracts over 300,000 visitors annually, with an average of more than 1,000 visitors entering the island—which covers just 6.8 square kilometers—every day. In terms of the ratio of visitor numbers to recreational area, the island has the highest recreational density in all of Taiwan. The large volume of visitors engaging in recreational activities in the intertidal zones has led to a gradual decline in the number and diversity of marine organisms in Little Liuqiu’s intertidal areas.

A research team led by Liao Li-chi, an assistant professor at National Kaohsiung Normal University, conducted a year-and-a-half-long monitoring and survey study on Little Liuqiu. They found that the population of marine organisms in the island’s four main intertidal zones frequented by tourists has dropped to just one twentieth of that in other intertidal areas, and the distribution of these organisms has retreated to wave-exposed areas that visitors are less likely to visit. If the current trend in Little Liuqiu’s intertidal zones continues unchecked, not only will the quality of the visitor experience rapidly deteriorate, but many species may also face extinction.

● Read more: Ecological treasure Little Liuqiu discovers new crab species recorded in Taiwan for the first time

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