true

ISRA FACTSHEETS

ASIA REGION

ISRA FACTSHEETS

ASIA REGION

Taitung ISRA

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Taitung ISRA

Taitung

Summary

Taitung is located in southeastern Taiwan. The area is characterised by a narrow continental shelf that drops steeply to depths larger than 1,000 m very close to the shoreline. The area overlaps with the Chihben Wetlands Key Biodiversity Area and with six marine protected areas. Within the area there are: threatened species and undefined aggregations (Whale Shark Rhincodon typus).

Taitung

Taitung

DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT

Taitung is located in southeastern Taiwan. The area is characterised by a narrow continental shelf that drops sharply to depths larger than 1,000 m very close to the shoreline (Yang et al. 2020).

The area is influenced by the Kuroshio Current which produces upwelling and turbulent mixing that increases productivity especially during the boreal summer (June–August) (Cheng et al. 2020).

The area overlaps with the Chihben Wetlands Key Biodiversity Area (KBA 2024) and with six marine protected areas: the Yiwan, Xiaogang, Xiaoma, Fushan, and Ludao Aquatic Organisms Propagation and Conservation Zones, and the Ludao Haishenping to Fanchuanbi Marine Resources Conservation Area.

This Important Shark and Ray Area is pelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 900 m based on the bathymetry of the area.

CRITERION A

VULNERABILITY

One Qualifying Species within the area is considered threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Whale Shark is assessed as Endangered (Pierce & Norman 2016).

CRITERION C

SUB-CRITERION C5 – UNDEFINED AGGREGATIONS

Taitung is an important area for undefined aggregations of one shark species.

Between 2001–2008, 198 Whale Sharks with an average size of 443 cm total length (TL) were landed in Taitung by trap set nets and spearfishing operating in the area (Hsu et al. 2012). Individuals were caught year-round, with a peak from January to May (Hsu et al. 2012; Cruz et al. 2013). Taitung was the location in Taiwan where a larger number of individuals were caught in that period compared to other areas (Hsu et al. 2012). After a fishing ban on Whale Sharks was established in 2008, hundreds of individuals were still caught in set nets along the Taitung coast every year (Hsu pers. obs. 2023). Between 2022–2023, 44 Whale Sharks were caught by these nets in the area, with larger numbers between June and October (Hsu unpubl. data 2023). Set nets are between 200–500 m long and generally catch a single Whale Shark. However, frequently they can catch aggregations of 3–5 Whale Sharks with a maximum of nine Whale Sharks caught in a single net (Hsu unpubl. data 2023). More information is needed to confirm the nature and function of these aggregations.

Taitung

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