The ancient marine animal known as the horseshoe crab has been spotted on the coast of Chiayi, more than 10 years after the last local sighting. Conservationists in the area have found 14 horseshoe crabs over the past three months. They''re appealing to the local government to turn the wetlands into a protected ecological area. Conservationists hop off the boat at the Haomeiliao Wetland in Chiayi’s Budai Township. They immediately get to work.They spot a tiny horseshoe crab in the muddy water. Finds like this would be easily missed by the untrained eye.Voice of Yang Ming-cheHorseshoe crab expertIt’s 21.5 millimeters, so it must be at its fifth instar. The first instar starts when they hatch from the egg. This one has molted four times. It was probably born two years ago. Considered a “living fossil,” the horseshoe crab used to be hunted for food. In recent years, habitat destruction has caused its numbers to dwindle, making it a rare sight in Taiwan.Yang Ming-cheHorseshoe crab expertIt’s been some 10 years … 14 years since I last found one. It’s no easy feat. We want to take another step forward and turn this area into a core reserve or ecological preservation area.Conservationists call on the Chiayi County government to follow the move of Kinmen and designate the wetlands as a protected area, so that horseshoe crabs can live in peace.
The ancient marine animal known as the horseshoe crab has been spotted on the coast of Chiayi, more than 10 years after the last local sighting. Conservationists in the area have found 14 horseshoe crabs over the past three months. They''re appealing to the local government to turn the wetlands into a protected ecological area. Conservationists hop off the boat at the Haomeiliao Wetland in Chiayi’s Budai Township. They immediately get to work.They spot a tiny horseshoe crab in the muddy water. Finds like this would be easily missed by the untrained eye.Voice of Yang Ming-cheHorseshoe crab expertIt’s 21.5 millimeters, so it must be at its fifth instar. The first instar starts when they hatch from the egg. This one has molted four times. It was probably born two years ago. Considered a “living fossil,” the horseshoe crab used to be hunted for food. In recent years, habitat destruction has caused its numbers to dwindle, making it a rare sight in Taiwan.Yang Ming-cheHorseshoe crab expertIt’s been some 10 years … 14 years since I last found one. It’s no easy feat. We want to take another step forward and turn this area into a core reserve or ecological preservation area.Conservationists call on the Chiayi County government to follow the move of Kinmen and designate the wetlands as a protected area, so that horseshoe crabs can live in peace.
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