China News Agency, Taipei, April 25. Recently, cetaceans and dolphins have been stranded and died across the coasts of Taiwan.

A pygmy sperm whale stranded and died on the 25th in the Gaomei Wetland in Taichung, and 4 cetaceans and dolphins were found stranded and died in Matsu Beach from the 21st to the 22nd.

　　According to reports from the Central News Agency, United Daily News and other media, the pygmy sperm whale that stranded in the Gaomei Wetland on the 25th was about 190 cm long and weighed about 200 kg. It was found to have been dead for a long time and was pushed ashore by the rising tide of the sea.

On the 22nd, the stranded sperm whale and the Burrito's mid-beaked whale were found in Ludao and Dulan Beach, and they were buried on the spot due to their deaths for many days.

Eight cases of bareback porpoises have been found stranded in Matsu Beach this month. The local county government speculates that they were stranded due to the impact of tidal currents and ships outside the sea.

　　Statistics from Taiwan’s Marine Conservation Agency show that among the more than 90 species of cetaceans in the world, there are more than 30 species in the waters surrounding Taiwan. In 2020, more than 20 species of cetaceans that have been stranded on the coast of Taiwan have been recorded.

　　An article from the Taiwan Society for the Protection of Animals quoted information from the Whale and Dolphin Research Laboratory of the Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University. Taiwan has cetaceans and dolphins stranded every month, especially in winter and spring, especially from January to March each year. Summer is less.

According to the 2020 full-year Taiwan cetacean stranding report released by the Marine Conservation Department earlier this year, Taiwan reported 161 cetaceans stranded last year, of which 143 were dead, 18 were alive, and 8 were successfully released into the wild.

　　It is understood that the rescue of stranded whales and dolphins requires considerable manpower and material resources, but successful cases are often disproportionate.

According to an article by the Taiwan Association for the Protection of Animals, whether in Taiwan or abroad, the current probability of rescuing stranded whales and dolphins is about 10%.

The relevant volunteer associations on the island have therefore called for more social resources to be devoted to cetacean rescue work, so that Taiwan's cetacean rescue work will gradually get on track.

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