TAIWAN CHERRY SALMON FACES HABITAT DESTRUCTION, NEEDS NEW BREEDING AREAS|原生存環境變化 櫻花鉤吻鮭待另覓新居

Commonly known as the Taiwanese salmon, the Taiwan Masu or Cherry salmon, is classified as a rare and endangered species of fish. It is known as a Taiwanese national treasure. Although it can spawn in its native Qijiawan Creek, last winter rain was very scarce in the mountains, which affected their environment. Thus the Shei Pa National Park management office is looking for a new home for the salmon in central Taiwan. This rare video footage of the Taiwan cherry salmon eating frogs and spawning in the river has been carefully recorded by conservation workers. After 25 years of long-term rehabilitation, the national treasure, Taiwan cherry salmon spawned naturally in the Qijiawan Creek, but last year's climate anomalies adversely affected their space and habitat. ==CHUNG MING-SHAN Deputy Director at Shei Pa National Park Headquarter== Formosan Landlocked Salmon usually breed around November. During that time if the water level is low, it'll also affect its breeding habitat. We'll continue to observe and see if it'll affect the population. The Shei Pa National Park management office said that at an altitude of 2,000 meters the water is unpolluted and water sources were sufficient, the highest water temperature never went over 17 degrees Celsius. In winter the temperature was around 10 degrees Celsius. These are the conditions necessary for the salmon, so in recent years as Taiwan's climate has changed, it was now necessary to find them a new home. ==CHUNG MING-SHAN Deputy Director at Shei Pa National Park Headquarter== The salmon's breeding ground is at an elevation of roughly 2000 meters where the water level and the temperature of the water it lives are most suitable. For example we are now looking for other breeding grounds in Taitung County, Nantou County, and an area close to the Qijiawan Creek. The management office said that originally there were many habitats for the salmon, but as the environment has become damaged, they faced extinction. Currently they have only bred successfully in Taichung's Qijiawan Creek and Yilan's Luoyewei Creek. It hopes that it can continue to help them find other habitats so that this national treasure can continue to multiply. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 台灣櫻花鉤吻鮭，被列為稀有與瀕臨絕種魚類，有台灣國寶魚之稱，雖然已經在原生地，七家灣溪，可以自我繁殖，但去年冬天，山區少雨，連帶影響生存環境，因此雪管處將在中台灣，為櫻花鉤吻鮭尋找新家。 台灣櫻花鉤吻鮭在水中捕食青蛙、還有在溪中產卵、孵化的這些寶貴的畫面，都被保育人員仔細的紀錄下來，經過25年長期復育，國寶魚台灣櫻花鉤吻鮭已經可在原生的七家灣溪自我繁殖，但去年氣候異常也影響牠們的生存空間。 ==雪霸國家公園管理處副處長 鍾銘山== 櫻花鉤吻鮭是11月繁殖 11月繁殖的時候 水量少的時候 可能會影響牠繁殖的棲地 那後續今年會不會影響 牠小魚的一個出生率 我們今年會持續來觀察 雪管處表示，必須在海拔2000公尺處，溪水未受汙染、水源充足，最高溫不能超過17度，冬天必須在10度左右的低溫，才符合台灣櫻花鉤吻鮭的生存條件，因為近年台灣氣候變遷，有必要為牠們尋找新家。 ==雪霸國家公園管理處副處長 鍾銘山== 就在海拔差不多2000公尺 然後水量夠 溫度也符合 鮭魚生存繁殖的一個棲地 就在譬如講說台中縣 南投縣周邊 就在七家灣溪的周邊一個山區 我們現在正在尋找 初步去勘查 也有幾個很適合的地點 雪管處指出，台灣櫻花鉤吻鮭原本有許多生存棲地，但因環境遭到破壞才會出現滅絕危機，目前只有台中七家灣溪和宜蘭羅葉尾溪復育成功，希望陸續幫牠們找回棲地，讓國寶魚持續繁衍下去。 邱植培 彭煥群 苗栗報導