Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins critically endangered, environmental groups protest that protected area not yet announced, Forestry Bureau: fishermen pushback

The annual "Mad Mazu" festival is about to arrive, but the "Chinese white dolphin," commonly known as the Mazu fish, will not get to enjoy this blessing. Fewer than 100 remain in all of Taiwan, and it has been listed internationally as a "Critically Endangered" animal. In April last year, the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture gave advance notice of the "Categories and Scope of Important Habitat Environment for the Chinese White Dolphin Wildlife," yet to date there has been no progress at all. Today the environmental groups held a press conference at the Forestry Bureau, brought out a statue of Mazu, and demanded that the designation be announced as soon as possible. However, Guan Lihao, head of the Conservation Division of the Forestry Bureau, said that fishermen are strongly opposed to this, and that within the protection scope there are also major construction projects that have already been approved by various ministries; communication is still ongoing, and it is impossible to determine when the announcement will be made.

Fewer than 100 remain in all of Taiwan, listed as "Critically Endangered"

The Chinese white dolphin is distributed in tropical and temperate coastal waters. From Jiangjun Fishing Port in Tainan to Longfeng Fishing Port in Miaoli County, 3~5 m offshore, are all part of their living range. Ordinary whales and dolphins live in deep water, but the white dolphin prefers shallow water. After mid-March of the lunar calendar each year, sea conditions in the Taiwan Strait become calmer, making it easier to see white dolphins active. It happens that March 23 is Mazu's birthday, and folk belief mistakenly assumed that the white dolphins came to wish Mazu a happy birthday, so they were given the cute nickname "Mazu fish."

But the fate of the Mazu fish has been full of hardship. Fewer than 100 remain in Taiwan. In 2008 it was listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as "Critically Endangered" (CR), second only to "Extinct." Therefore, on April 22 last year, World Earth Day, the Forestry Bureau gave advance notice of the "Categories and Scope of Important Habitat Environment for the Chinese White Dolphin Wildlife," designating a 76,300-hectare protected area, from Waisanding Zhou in Yunlin in the south to Longfeng Port in Miaoli in the north, and extending 50 m inland on the east side. It was expected to become Taiwan's first case of designating an important marine habitat.

The normal advance notice procedure requires only 30 days. After collecting opinions and making revisions, it can be announced and implemented. But nearly a year has passed, and the Forestry Bureau still has not formally announced it, drawing criticism from environmental groups. Today the Forestry Bureau invited county and city governments, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Development Council and other agencies to hold a working meeting. The "Taiwan Mazu Fish Conservation Alliance" specially brought out a wooden statue of Mazu to demand that the Forestry Bureau announce it as soon as possible.