OILSPILL FROM FISHING BOATS THREATENS UNQUE ECOSYSTEM|4艘漁船擱淺西子灣 2艘翻覆漏重油汙

In Kaohsiung, four deep sea fishing boats weighing over 1,000 tones were parked at the Chienchen Fishing Port to avoid damage by Typhoon Meranti. However, strong gusts of wind still blew the ships all the way to the gate of National Sun Yat-Sen University, which is 9 kilometers away. Two of them toppled over at sea and resulted in oil leakage. The Port of Kaohsiung immediately dispatched crew to clean up the oil. Since this is also the habitat of a unique species of coral indigenous to Taiwan, scholars who discovered the species raised concerns that the leakage may cause a crisis to the marine ecosystem. Four deep sea fishing boats of over 1,000 tones were stuck at the shore of Sizihwan. Two of them were severely damaged and overturned, resulting in oil leakage. The Port of Kaohsiung crew used cotton to clean up the oil. However, the black oil can still be seen expanding on the ocean. ==CHANG CHAN-JUNG, Port of Kaohsiung Official== First the water needs to be drained, and then the boat can be towed away. Four fishing boats were tied together at the Chienchen Fishing Port for safety prior to Typhoon Meranti. However, strong wind severed several cables, causing the fishing boats to be stranded at the gate of National Sun Yat-Sen University This is also the home to a species of coral that is endemic to Taiwan, Polycyathus chaishanensis, which was just declared a class-one endangered species in Aug. Researchers worry that the oil leakage would pose a great threat to the marine ecosystem. ==CHEN CHAO-LUN Research Fellow, Academia Sinica== Oil is very bad for coral and invertebrates because they cannot escape. Heavy crude oil and diesel can both cause acute poisoning, suffocation, or cell damage. The Port of Kaohsiung is trying to get the two upright fishing boats to be towed away so that the leakage will not get worse. A crew member on one of the toppled boat, Yung Hsing Fa 168 fell into the sea when the boat overturned. His body was found on the morning of Sep. 15. The other 21 crew members were rescued to safety. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 莫蘭蒂風勢驚人，原本停在前鎮漁港的四艘上千噸遠洋漁船，被吹到9公里外的中山大學校門口，其中兩艘還半翻覆在海上，漏出大量油汙，船公司正派人清除，只是這裡是台灣特有種「柴山多杯孔珊瑚」所在地，學者擔憂會重創海洋生態。 四艘上千噸的遠洋漁船，竟然卡在西子灣的堤岸旁，其中兩艘船身破損嚴重，翻覆漏出重油，現場傳出濃厚油味，趁著天氣放晴、海象轉好，港務公司出動人員，利用吸油棉清理油汙不過，海面上漂著黑色油汙，不斷向外擴散。 ==高雄港務分公司勞安處長 張展榮== 裡面有進水的部份 趕快把水抽掉 然後就趕快進行 船的拖離作業 原本停靠在前鎮漁港的漁船，為了躲避莫蘭蒂颱風，四艘串聯綁在一起，沒想到沒躲過強風，好幾條纜線被吹斷，一路從前鎮漁港漂了9公里，擱淺在中山大學校門口 。而這裡更是台灣特有種"柴山多杯孔珊瑚"發現地點，今年8月農委會才預告列為瀕絕的一級保育類物種，讓當初發現的學者憂心忡忡，海洋生態面臨重大危機。 == 中研院生物多樣性研究中心研究員 陳昭倫== 油汙其實是對珊瑚 跟所有這些底棲無脊椎動物 因為牠們都不會跑嘛 然後油汙不管是重油或是柴油 都是屬於急性毒 產生一些窒息 或是一些在牠的那個 細胞上面的一些影響 目前港務公司協調各單位，希望先將未翻覆的"富冠606"以及"富冠707"兩艘漁船，拖離擱淺地點，以避免船體油汙滲漏，擴大汙染範圍。不過，意外發生當時，翻覆的永興發168號船上一名船員，逃生時不慎落海，遺體在15號清晨被發現，其餘21人則安全獲救。 記者 李淑蘭 許政俊 高雄報導