Public Hearing on Horseshoe Crab Protection: Kinmen Focuses on Habitat Preservation

According to the Central News Agency, the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) has proposed amending the "List of Marine Protected Wildlife" to reclassify the horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) from a general marine species to a protected marine species. The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) held a public hearing in Kinmen on the 26th to gather feedback. Professor Chang Yi of National Sun Yat-sen University noted that there are approximately 70,000 adult horseshoe crabs in Taiwan's waters, with 90% residing in Kinmen. Since 2003, large-scale development of Kinmen's natural coastline has led to the loss of spawning beaches and juvenile habitats. During the hearing, many participants argued that habitat improvement, fishing gear management, and the removal of invasive species are more critical than legal classification. OCA Deputy Director-General Li Hsiao-hsia stated that the agency will carefully consider the feedback and, in the meantime, work with the county government to conduct environmental impact checks on construction projects and manage fishing gear. Kinmen Deputy County Magistrate Chen Hsiang-lin also agreed on the importance of ecological protection and expressed interest in introducing community-led patrols.