Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/04
By: Chen Chi-ching and Chi Jo-yao

Taipei, Oct. 4 (CNA) A volunteer cleanup effort to help protect the coral reefs around the offshore Penghu County yielded more than 800 kilograms of abandoned fishing nets on Thursday, the Marine National Park Headquarters (MNPH) said Friday.

The ghost nets, as they are called, were piled on the coral reefs off the coast of Dongji islet in southern Penghu, scuba divers reported last week, according to the MNPH.

At that time, however, the MNPH could not take action, due to the strong winds and choppy seas caused by Typhoon Mitag, said Hsu Shao-liang (徐韶良), a park management official.

When the waters became calm on Thursday, the MNPH assembled a group of 10 marine conservation volunteers, who traveled to the reefs in two boats to remove the nets, Hsu said.
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