Chinese White Dolphins Spotted in Tainan Waters, Showing Results of Marine Restoration

TAINAN (Central News Agency reporter Chang Jung-hsiang, Tainan, 15th) — The Tainan City Government today released footage of Chinese White Dolphins appearing for the first time in Tainan waters, gradually demonstrating the results of marine restoration in this important fishing ground on Taiwan's west coast, and also showcasing the determination of the government and the private sector to work together to protect the ocean.\n\nThe Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau today told Central News Agency reporters that Chinese White Dolphins were swimming leisurely in Tainan waters, with images captured by fisherman Chen Dewei in mid-March. The sighting occurred 1.5 nautical miles offshore from Anping, where a group of Chinese White Dolphins was visible to the naked eye, though only two were captured in the footage.\n\nThe Agriculture Bureau noted that in the past, there were many local accounts of Chinese White Dolphins swimming to the oyster raft waters off Anping to forage, but concrete visual records were always lacking. This successful capture of Chinese White Dolphins directly testifies to the ecology of Tainan waters and indicates that this important fishing ground is gradually showing results in marine restoration.\n\nThe city government, in cooperation with the Tainan City Fishermen's Association, has jointly promoted various fishery resource conservation measures, including educating fishermen to comply with fishery management regulations, conducting fish fry releases, promoting eco-friendly fishing practices, and strengthening crackdowns on illegal fishing in marine areas. These efforts continuously improve the coastal ecological environment and establish a protection mechanism for Tainan waters.\n\nPersonnel from the fishermen's association stated that although marine restoration efforts have continued in recent years, illegal fishing and oil pollution are still observed, indicating that conservation concepts, legal publicity, and basic operational norms at sea still need to be deepened.\n\nData shows that Chinese White Dolphins are commonly known as white dolphins, also called Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Chinese humpback dolphins, or pink dolphins. In Taiwan, they are colloquially known as Mazu fish. They are large marine mammals of the dolphin family with a raised dorsal fin base, distributed in the tropical and temperate coastal waters of the Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Oceans, occasionally appearing in freshwater such as the Yangtze River, Min River, Jiulong River, and Pearl River. (Editor: Wu Surou) 1150415