202409/20
In the early days, the Shuanglianpi Wetland in Yilan County was designated as a wildlife refuge by the Yilan County Government in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Act because it was home to many rare and valuable aquatic plants and animals. However, due to the invasion of exotic fish species and the impact of agricultural practices in the vicinity, some of the original wetland species no longer exist. As it is difficult to remove the invasive species and alleviate the water pollution immediately, in collaboration with local farmers, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) has actively diverted water resources around the Shuanglianpi Wetland in recent years to restore the dry fields back into rice paddies and establish satellite wetlands. So far, these efforts have already increased the flooded area by 5.88 hectares. Today (September 20), the FANCA also collaborated with the Academia Sinica to release 2,000 Chinese rice fish (Oryzias sinensis) from the joint restoration project into the rice paddy wetlands restored by local farmers. The aim is to first establish a stable satellite population before gradually expanding into the waters of the Shuanglianpi Wetland.
The Chinese rice fish is a native freshwater fish of Taiwan, commonly known as rice paddy fish. It is found in rice paddies, ditches, lakes, and other low-altitude slow-flowing or still-water zones. It is only able to survive in clean water and is extremely sensitivity to pesticides. In the past, it was widely distributed in north-central Taiwan and was one of the representative species of the farmland ecosystem. However, due to the impacts of invasive species, water pollution, and habitat destruction, it was once thought to be extinct in Taiwan for more than 40 years. It was not until 1992 that a native population was rediscovered in the Shuanglianpi Wetland. However, due to the invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis; commonly known as the pot-bellied fish), which preys on the fry or eggs of the Chinese rice fish, as well as the water pollution of the habitat, the native Chinese rice fish population in Shuanglianpi has been under constant threat.
Since 2023, the FANCA commissioned Shih-Pin Huang, a researcher from the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica, to conduct surveys and restoration works for the Chinese rice fish. Through these surveys, it was found that several native populations of Chinese rice fish still existed in the Shuanglianpi Wetland. The research team chose the population with the highest genetic diversity as the species’ preservation resource, and bred 2,000 healthy Chinese rice fish in an artificial environment. After being tested for diseases by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute, the fish were released into the eco-friendly paddies restored by local environmentally conscious farmers in recent years, aiming to revitalize the Chinese rice fish population in the Shuanglianpi Wetland.
The FANCA said that the Chinese rice fish restoration project in the Shuanglianpi Wetland has gone through a 5-year process of promoting community conservation. It has sought the cooperation of many local farmers to reintroduce water to the dried-up fields, as to create rice paddy wetlands that are a suitable reproduction habitat for the Chinese rice fish. One of the local farmers, Feng-Ju Chien, has long been concerned about the natural ecosystem of the Shuanglianpi Wetland area. Upon learning of the FANCA’s idea to restore and enlarge the wetland environment around the main wetland, he immediately took part in the restoration of the rice paddies. He adopted pesticide- and fertilizer-free farming methods, with a farming area reaching 4.2 hectares. In addition to producing eco-friendly rice called “Simple Rice,” his rice paddies have also become an excellent habitat for the Chinese rice fish. The rice paddies provide the best wild-release base for the restoration project, taking into account both agricultural production and ecological conservation.
The Yilan Branch of the FANCA also added that, in order to expand the wetland area around the main Shuanglianpi Wetland and enlarge the flooded ecosystem, the FANCA has actively sought out local residents to jointly promote wetland habitat creation tasks in the surrounding rice paddies of the Shuanglianpi Wetland since 2020. The ancient irrigation canals have also been restored through a working holiday project. This was paired with water diversion works to bring in water from Jianshui Creek through a pipeline system, which serves as a supplemental source of water for wetland restoration in the surrounding area of the Shuanglianpi Wetland, thus helping slow down the terrestrialization of the wetlands. Since 2021, the “Payment for Ecosystem Services for Critical Habitats” project has subsidized eco-friendly farmers who want to participate in the project. As of 2024, 14 local farmers have already joined the project, with the flooded and eco-friendly farming area expanding to 5.88 hectares. This has helped to establish a “3-in-1” Satoyama environment that enables biodiversity conservation.
The FANCA emphasized that rice paddies in Taiwan are often left fallow, resulting in long periods without water; in addition, the poor linkage between rice paddies makes it difficult to find a suitable habitat for the Chinese rice fish. Therefore, habitat creation in the rice paddy wetlands has become the key task of this Chinese rice fish restoration project. It not only provides shelter for the Chinese rice fish, the connecting waterways also aid in naturally bringing the fish to the Cukeng River, thus becoming a genetic resource center for the Chinese rice fish to be released back into the Shuanglianpi Wetland. In the future, we hope to increase the genetic diversity of the Shuanglianpi Chinese rice fish populations, which had gradually become genetically homogenized, and thus establish large and stable populations. We will continue nurturing the valuable collaboration with local residents and further develop community conservation efforts. We will work with environmentally conscious farmers to monitor the ecosystem and patrol and restore the wetlands, in order to maintain the Shuanglianpi Wetland ecosystem and the surrounding satellite wetlands.