Clipping Board » Environmental Pollution & Change ─ How dirty the human heart is, how dirty the environment will be...
Update Date: 2009/10/02 14:39 (Central News Agency Reporter Chen Liting, Taipei, October 2)
According to a survey by the Taiwan Animal Society Research Association, Taiwan holds up to 750 religious animal release activities annually, averaging 2.1 times per day. Statistics show that many of the released animals are invasive species, posing a serious threat to the ecological environment.
The Taiwan Animal Society Research Association held a press conference today, releasing the results of the 2009 "Survey on Animal Release Practices in Taiwan." The findings indicate that popular tourist spots are often chosen for animal releases, such as Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf, Sun Moon Lake, and Qijin for fish releases, while bird releases occur in areas like Yangmingshan, Hehuanshan, and even Yushan.
Chen Yumin, director of the Taiwan Animal Society Research Association, stated that wherever there are rivers, reservoirs, or mountainous regions, traces of animal releases by Taiwanese people can be found. Not only domestically, but some groups also conduct releases overseas, including in China, Hong Kong, the United States, Canada, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Among the released species, "turtle doves, sparrows, and black-billed munias" are top choices due to their low cost, while the "long-tailed shrike" is also frequently released. However, this bird is an aggressive invasive species that severely encroaches on the living space of native birds.
The survey found that 256 groups are still engaged in animal release activities, a decrease of one-third compared to the 483 groups recorded in the 2004 survey. Among these, 32 groups conduct release activities every month, leading to an estimated annual expenditure of at least NT$200 million and the release of over 200 million animals. 981002
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 091002/ 5/ 1s7wt. html
750 Annual Animal Releases Severely Threaten Ecosystems
According to a survey by the Taiwan Animal Society Research Association, Taiwan holds up to 750 religious animal release activities annually, averaging 2.1 times per day. Statistics show that many of the released animals are invasive species, posing a serious threat to the ecological environment.
The Taiwan Animal Society Research Association held a press conference today, releasing the results of the 2009 "Survey on Animal Release Practices in Taiwan." The findings indicate that popular tourist spots are often chosen for animal releases, such as Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf, Sun Moon Lake, and Qijin for fish releases, while bird releases occur in areas like Yangmingshan, Hehuanshan, and even Yushan.
Chen Yumin, director of the Taiwan Animal Society Research Association, stated that wherever there are rivers, reservoirs, or mountainous regions, traces of animal releases by Taiwanese people can be found. Not only domestically, but some groups also conduct releases overseas, including in China, Hong Kong, the United States, Canada, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Among the released species, "turtle doves, sparrows, and black-billed munias" are top choices due to their low cost, while the "long-tailed shrike" is also frequently released. However, this bird is an aggressive invasive species that severely encroaches on the living space of native birds.
The survey found that 256 groups are still engaged in animal release activities, a decrease of one-third compared to the 483 groups recorded in the 2004 survey. Among these, 32 groups conduct release activities every month, leading to an estimated annual expenditure of at least NT$200 million and the release of over 200 million animals. 981002
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 091002/ 5/ 1s7wt. html