By MOOK Travel & Lifestyle Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported
Xiao Liuqiu in Pingtung County has been one of Taiwan’s popular tourist destinations in recent years, but the ever-increasing number of visitors has also impacted the ecology of the intertidal zones. To protect the environment, the Pingtung County Government will begin public awareness campaigns from now until the end of July, and is expected to announce visitor quantity controls for 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 visitors into the area. From September onward, visitor quotas will be enforced, with no more than 300 visitors per hour allowed in the demonstration zone.
Large numbers of visitors playing in the intertidal zones of Xiao Liuqiu are impacting the area's ecology. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government)
The Pingtung County Government has chosen the most severely damaged Shanfu intertidal zone as the first demonstration site for visitor quantity control. July will serve as an awareness period, with visitor controls expected to be officially announced in August. During July and August, only operators and guides holding entry permits for the demonstration zone will be allowed to bring visitors in. From September to November, during the tourism off-season, visitor quotas will be enforced, limiting the number of visitors in the demonstration zone to 300 per hour. 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 marine life. In addition, starting now, conservation police will conduct outreach and persuasion efforts at the Shanfu intertidal zone. Once the quantity controls are officially enforced, violators will face fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000.
The Pingtung County Agriculture Department pointed out that Xiao Liuqiu attracts over 300,000 visitors annually, with an average of more than 1,000 tourists entering the island — which covers just 6.8 square kilometers — every day. Judging by the ratio of visitor numbers to recreational area, the island has the highest tourist density in all of Taiwan. The large volume of visitors engaging in recreational activities in the intertidal zones has gradually led to a decline in both the variety and population of marine life there.
A research team led by Assistant Professor Lo Liuchi from National Kaohsiung Normal University conducted a year-and-a-half-long monitoring study on Xiao Liuqiu and found that the population of marine life in the island’s four main intertidal recreation areas has dropped to just one twentieth of that in other intertidal zones. Moreover, the distribution of marine species has retreated to wave-exposed areas that visitors tend to avoid. If the intertidal zones of Xiao Liuqiu continue to be developed without proper management, not only will the quality of recreational experience rapidly deteriorate, but many species may also face extinction.
● Read more: Ecological treasure Xiao Liuqiu discovers new crab species recorded in Taiwan
http://goo.gl/ozLMg