Description of River

For starters, let’s understand what a river ecosystem is. An ecosystem is the sum of interactions between plants, animals, microorganisms, and non-living physical and chemical components in a particular natural environment, such as rivers. River ecosystems drain the landscape through a hierarchical series of channels, beginning with small headwater streams, and enlarging to meet the sea. That being said, the river ecosystem contains really dynamic conditions, such as its speed of water flow, which is also known as a lotic system. In addition to that, flow can be easily affected by sudden water input from snowmelt, rain, and groundwater, further leading to increased deposition or erosion. With such continuous physical change, the inhabited living things, in or along the rivers, usually have relatively high adaptability for sudden changes that could put them in lethal danger. Or in other ways, the features of the living and nonliving things could vary a lot according to the features of the rivers that are free in. For example, The ability of fish to live in a river system depends on their speed and duration of that speed – it takes enormous energy to swim against a current. This ability varies and is related to the area of habitat the fish may occupy in the river. Most fish tend to remain close to the bottom, the banks, or behind obstacles, swimming in the current only to feed or change location. Some species never go into the current. What’s more? Most river systems are typically connected to other lotic systems (springs, wetlands, waterways, streams, oceans), and many fish have life cycles that require stages in other systems. Eels, for example, move between freshwater and saltwater. In conclusion, due to the continuous changes that can happen in rivers, the inhabitant creatures living in them tend to develop their own coping mechanisms as a way to survive. And such coping mechanisms have been passed down to their offspring; the river ecosystem we see today.

Reasons for Extinction

Multiple reasons bring the result of animal extinction in river areas. One of the reasons is that non-native animals or creatures can have devastating consequences, which force them to compete for resources that originally belonged to them. Another reason is the over-exploitation due to commercial and entertainment reasons. Two aspects are included in the over-exploitation. One is overharvesting and the other one is poaching. Despite these reasons, the main reason that eventually led to the extinction of the river area creatures is human activity’s habit loss. Modern technology can lead to unexpected results. Dam construction, urbanization, and agriculture lead to the destruction and fragmentation of habitat loss. Not only those industries contribute to the loss. The lack of policy also adds up to the result, no existing regulation can help trace the loss of the native animals, which makes it difficult for us to acknowledge what is lost in the area. Furthermore, the area of the government also intensifies the extinction rate of the river area creatures. Putting dams on the biodiversity varies, leading to the result of animals disappearing. Building a dam only benefits humans, it never benefits those native creatures. What they need is a place for them to live, not a place where they can create money or any other kind of human profit.

The lost species is never coming back, however, we can help the animals that still exist to survive and flourish their generation. It is our duty to help the world work as it used to. We should help the river flow as it used to, let the fish swim as it used to, and let the wetland grow as it used to. Our job is not to destroy, but it is to keep those native living. For this reason, we should end the environmental pollution, rescue the animals whose lives are withering, and stop the lake from drying and dying.

About Formosan Landlocked Salmon

Formosan landlocked salmon, with the scientific name Oncorhynchus Masou Formosanus, is facing the danger of extinction. Before getting into the topic of endangered species, let's acquaint ourselves with the characteristics and habitats of the fish. Due to the mountain formation that occurred 15,000 years ago, marking the end of the ice age, it became landlocked and cut off from the sea, evolving into a unique salmon species. Typically, it has a lifespan of 4 years and a maximum body length of 40 cm. The base color of the Formosan landlocked salmon's body is dark green, while its abdomen exhibits a silvery sheen. Along both sides of its body, there are 9 oval-shaped, vertically arranged dark speckles, along with 11 to 13 smaller black spots. During the mating season, the male Formosan landlocked salmon's body takes on a striking dark red hue.

Being a coldwater fish native to subtropical Taiwan, these salmon thrive exclusively at elevations above 1,500 meters. They find their ideal habitats in places like the Chichiawan Stream and the Khaosan Stream in the upper reaches of the Dakia River within the Shei-Pa National Park boundaries. These fish require water temperatures that do not exceed 17 degrees Celsius throughout the year, with winter months necessitating temperatures of around 10 degrees Celsius for successful breeding. Moreover, ample volumes of fresh, uncontaminated water are vital for their survival.

The title of "National Treasure Fish" and its presence on the back of the 2000 New Taiwan Dollar bill underscore its importance. However, following Taiwan's rapid development, coupled with the looming threat of global warming, the species' habitats have been severely impacted. In 1995, the number of Formosan landlocked salmon dwindled to just 200, placing them on the verge of extinction. In response, Shei-Pa National Park has taken proactive steps in conservation efforts. Through the cultivation and restoration of historical habitats, Formosan landlocked salmon in the Qijiawan River have shown gradual signs of recovery. According to an annual survey conducted by Shei-Pa National Park, their population has reached a record high, surpassing 15,000 individuals.

About Squalidus Banarescui

Taiwan's native freshwater fish, Squalidus banarescui, was listed as a first-level protected species in 2009. According to "The Red Lists of Freshwater Fishes of Taiwan '' published in 2017, Squalidus banarescui is also considered critically endangered.

It is rare to see Squalidus banarescui in the upper waters. It is predominantly found in the middle and lower waters. Most of the time, it is found in slow-moving areas, still waters or ponds in the middle and lower reaches of rivers, particularly in places where the transparency of the water is not as high as in places where aquatic plants gather, providing shelter for the critter. Small in size, measuring up to about 10 cm in length, and preferring braided streams as its habitat. Aquatic plants serve as a natural incubator for Squalidus banarescui eggs, and its reproduction pattern is similar to that of pond fish. A distinct characteristic of Squalidus banarescui is its large, golden eyes, short whiskers on the sides of the mouth, and scales along the lateral lines that are black half-moons. Its body measures approximately four to seven centimeters in length. The animal is an omnivore that consumes organic detritus as well as aquatic insects.

It is true that the government has stated that the habitat of Squalidus banarescui will be restored following the completion of the National Highway No. 6 project, however, private efforts are quicker and more effective than those by the government in restoring the habitat. Squalidus banarescui has been listed as a protected species since 2004, however civil society groups and fish enthusiasts were aware of its survival crisis and took the initiative to move the fish from unprotected habitats to assessed and protected habitats in order to conserve it.

The government agencies, on the other hand, are not idle either. Since 2018, the Forestry Bureau has commissioned Taichung City Wildlife Conservation Society to investigate the distribution of Squalidus banarescui in the Kamachat River. A braided flow in the middle reaches of the Kamachat River has been identified as an important habitat for these species. A cross-unit division of labor and cooperation platform was established by the Nantou Forest District Office and relevant units to conserve Squalidus banarescui, and a physical meeting was held to determine how to expand cooperation with the Irrigation Agency MOA and Highway Bureau in order to preserve this species. Restoration activities are currently being carried out by the Freshwater Aquaculture Research Center. Besides restoring habitat on the north and south banks of the Kamachat River tail bridge, the Central District Water Resources Bureau and the Third River Bureau are also involved in the project. Squalidus Banarescui monitors and coordinates the number and distribution of ethnic groups and is a member of the Special Aquaculture Center and Taichung City Wildlife Conservation Society.

The Ministry of Environment and Agriculture (MOEA) installed notice boards near the farm in 2020 to remind anglers to immediately release the fish back into their natural habitat after catching them. Furthermore, the Nantou County Government posted a notice prohibiting the hunting of Squalidus banarescui near the farm, and sent personnel to inspect the fisheries periodically. Similarly, the local county and city governments will continue to send personnel to the aquarium in order to help strengthen publicity and ensure that illegal activities are not taking place.

About Squalidus Iijimae

Squalidus iijimae is categorized as Taiwan one of the three marine treasures. Originally, it was abusely caught and sold due to humans’ early incorrect ideas on fishery. That is also the largest population decline that has happened in a short period of time. However, as Taiwan quickly industrialized, their inhabitants have been severely polluted. Illegal toxic and electrical construction has caused an argillation, leading to a lethal harm to all creatures living in the region, Squalidus iijimae included. Furthermore, humans not only damage their living environment, but only shrink them by adding new species for financial practicality, which once challenged their survival by deliberately damaging its ecological equilibrium. Once this all came together, the inevitable result came, it is now declared as an “endangered” species. This declaration is not only a difference in recognition but more on how any activities involving them will be regulated.

For example, Recently Miaoli, a city in Taiwan, was carrying a plan to rebuild the bridge above the upper part of a river. It was scheduled to be done before this year March, however, it was discovered that the region is where Squalidus iijimae gathered. Its regional government has then immediately decided to stop the construction right away, and draft six mechanisms to an eco-friendly construction plan. Squalidus iijimae, like any other fishes in Taiwan, should be protected at all costs.