LAND CRAB POPULATION SEVERELY REDUCED IN KENTING|墾丁陸蟹產卵季 環團:今年數量大減

It is currently the spawning season for land crabs at Kenting National Park. However, environmental groups found that the number of land crabs has declined drastically this year. In the past, thousands of land crabs could be observed every night, but now, only less than a hundred can be found on some nights. According to environmental experts, road kill remains the main issue, and they hope overpasses or eco-boulevards can be built as soon as possible. Scandarma lintou is an indigenous tree-climbing crab commonly found in Pingtung's Gangkou Village. Volunteers would help release them at the beach or carry them across the street in buckets. People used to see thousands or over 10,000 land crabs every night during the crab spawning season. Now, they see less than a hundred on one night. ==YANG,HSIU-LAN, President, Manzhou Port Community Dev. Assoc.== Just three years ago, everyone filled their bucket with crabs. Now we have a dozen or so people, with only one bucket of crabs to release at the beach. Gangkou Village residents believe that habitat and environmental destruction has also played a part in the dwindling number of land crabs. However, roadkill is still the main issue. The same problem also occurs in Siang Jiao Wan. ==HUNG HUI-HSIANG, Pingtung EP Union chair== We counted no more than 500 female crabs over the course of 6 days. That number used to be over 10,000. This is an alarming sign. Land crabs in Gangkou Village are smaller, and thus the issue of roadkill is even more serious. Environmental groups have been calling on the government to build overpasses and eco-boulevards as soon as possible. ==KU CHING-FANG, Manzhou Port volunteer== Land crabs have to walk across the street, so they're at risk of getting killed in the traffic. Crabs are small, so drivers cannot see them. They just get crushed. Currently, crabs rely on human help to protect them. That's why we hope the government can build eco-boulevards soon. Environmental groups expressed that in recent years, Kenting National Park Headquarters has entrusted academic institutes to survey the number of land crabs, hoping to better understand the reasons for the drop. However, more action should be taken, so as to prevent the situation from worsening. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 最近是墾丁國家公園陸蟹產卵的季節。但是環保團體卻發現，今年陸蟹數量大量減少，往年一個晚上可以觀察到幾千隻陸蟹，今年有時候一晚上不到百隻，環保團體認為，路殺問題嚴重，除了持續護蟹，希望曾經建議過興建高架道路或是生態廊道趕緊動工。 社區志工來回檢查，一發現有抱卵的林投蟹找不到方向，不是把牠放到靠海的安全地點，就是放入水桶中，幫牠過馬路。他們是屏東滿州鄉港口村的志工，每一年在陸蟹產卵季節都會護蟹，卻也發現，過去一晚能看到近幾千隻甚至上萬隻陸蟹，今年已經減量到有時候一晚不到一百隻。 ==屏東滿州港口社區發展協會理事長 楊秀蘭== 在三年前喔 我們幾乎是人手一桶 裝著林投蟹在過馬路 那現在是 幾十個夥伴 大家只有裝了一桶（陸蟹） 提著一個桶子就可以 把這些陸蟹帶到海邊去 港口村民認為，陸蟹減少原因可能還有棲地破壞跟環境惡化等原因，不過路殺還是佔很大比重，而陸蟹減少的狀況也發生在香蕉灣。 ==屏東縣環保聯盟理事長 洪輝祥== （香蕉灣）今年調查6天 6天加起來可能 不超過500隻的母蟹 這個跟以前上萬隻 一天就可以上萬隻相較之下 就是一個 陸蟹發出來的 最嚴重的一個訊號 港口村的陸蟹，因為體型較小，路殺情況更嚴重；因此香蕉灣以及港口村的環保團體都希望過去曾建議的高架道路以及生態廊道早點動工。 ==屏東滿州港口社區志工 古清芳== （陸蟹）只能走馬路 走馬路就是有這樣子的風險 那車子來來往往 而且（陸蟹）體型那麼小啊 其實駕駛員也看不到 所以就 嗯 壓死了 所以靠人為護蟹 目前是唯一的方法 就我們希望公部門 趕快做（生態）廊道 環保團體表示，這幾年，墾管處都有委託學術單位調查陸蟹的數量，對陸蟹減量的情況有所掌握，但希望他們除了了解現況，還能有更積極作為，以免狀況更惡化。 記者 王柔婷 許政俊 屏東報導