The Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council convened the 2024 Marine Animal Rescue Network (MARN) Coordination Meeting today (18th), inviting 21 local governments and 8 professional rescue teams. These teams, who normally collaborate online throughout the year, had a rare opportunity to exchange face-to-face experiences on reports and handling of stranded cetaceans and sea turtles. They brainstormed ways to fully leverage the insights these animals bring, including comprehensive sampling and specimen management, spatiotemporal analysis of stranding survival rates and causes of death, and streamlining processes for enhanced rescue efficiency, accompanying these animals on their life journey.

The Ocean Conservation Administration noted that since 2019, when professional teams, the Coast Guard Administration, and local governments established the Marine Animal Rescue Network (MARN), referencing domestic and international experiences, they have completed the Marine Animal Rescue Network Handbook (https://gov.tw/QCM). Over the past five years, they handled over 1,700 stranded sea turtles and 800 cetaceans, including highly publicized cases like the mass stranding of pygmy killer whales in Kaohsiung Harbor, blue whale strandings in Taitung, and leatherback turtle entanglements in fishing nets in Keelung. As of the first quarter of this year (2024), they successfully released 259 sea turtles and 22 cetaceans back into the wild, maintaining survival rates at a certain level.

Furthermore, the Ocean Conservation Administration explained that over the years, MARN invested funds to improve hardware equipment at 10 rescue stations like the Badouzi Marine Animal Rescue Station(海之生救援站) in Keelung City, Qiding Rescue Station in Miaoli, and marine museums(海生館), National Cheng Kung University, and Kinmen County Fisheries Research Institute. They also facilitated memorandums of understanding or cooperation agreements between New Taipei City and Yehliu Ocean World, Taoyuan City and Xpark, Hualien County and Farglory Ocean Park, strengthening public-private cooperation in rescue and conservation efforts. This increased the survival rate of live cetaceans from less than 10% to an average of 35% over the past three years, with live sea turtle survival rates exceeding 80%. The meeting, held at the Taiwan Yokohama Hakkeijima’s Xpark, not only enhanced rescue and care efficiency but also allowed teams to closely understand the care of stranded animals, which is educationally meaningful.

The Ocean Conservation Administration emphasized that the history of strandings of cetaceans and sea turtles is long, with many possible reasons including natural factors (disease, predators) and human factors (bycatch, entanglement in fishing nets, etc.). For animals suffering from diseases, there is no need to prolong their lives excessively, but they should be allowed to follow their natural course, respecting nature. In cases of deaths due to human factors, it is also a reminder that appropriate measures should be taken, such as fishery avoidance measures, to reduce strandings as much as possible. In view of this, the meeting also specifically discussed preserving samples of protected species for research, exploring possible causes of strandings, and using them as references for promoting conservation policies. The Ocean Conservation Administration currently has 807 samples of 34 species and welcomes researchers from all sectors to apply.

After the meeting, rescue teams visited the Sea Turtle Conservation, Education, and Rehabilitation Center, Taoyuan City, jointly established by the Taoyuan City Government and Xpark. This center not only provides professional medical treatment and care for injured sea turtles but also combines education with entertainment. It helps the public understand the importance of marine biodiversity and encourages them to join practical actions for sea turtle conservation.

The Ocean Conservation Administration urges the public that if they come across stranded or in need of rescue cetaceans or sea turtles, for their safety and that of the animals, they should not handle stranded animals without professional guidance. They should quickly call the Coast Guard's "118" hotline or inform the marine conservation authority of their county or city, providing detailed location, time, and description of the animal's condition, so that the MARN professional team can quickly come to the rescue, safeguarding marine wildlife. It requires the collective effort of everyone.
 
Responsible Authority and Spokesperson: Wu Long-Jing, OCA Deputy Director-General
Contact Number: 07-3383203 or 0919-613467
Release Date: April 18, 2024