Restoration of the Formosan landlocked salmon in the Shei-Pa National Park, Taiwan

Summary

The Formosan landlocked salmon (Oncorhynchus masou formosanus), a Critically Endangered fish confined to the Chichiawan Stream in Taiwan's Shei-Pa National Park, had remained below 3,000 individuals for two decades, its habitat degraded by recreational development and high-mountain farms, many run by a retired-soldier authority within the central government. Restoration efforts progressed through five historical stages since 1917, gaining real traction only after Taichung County legally designated a Salmon Wildlife Refuge under the Wildlife Conservation Law on 1 October 1997. That designation followed a shift toward collaborative planning led by the Council of Agriculture, mediating between the National Park authority, scientists, and conservation groups on one side and farm authorities representing local livelihoods and tourism interests on the other, through public meetings and a Working Panel that produced a joint Conservation Plan with divided implementation responsibilities. Since 1995, measures have included riparian revegetation, removal of sand check dams that blocked fish passage, improved water-resource regulation, reduced agricultural and recreational pressure, a new flood-season shelter for salmon, and ongoing biological research, with the project now in its mid-term phase of enlarging habitat and re-introducing hatchery-reared salmon. Persistent difficulties include stakeholder conflict, typhoon disturbance, limited suitable habitat, and the threat that climate change may warm streams beyond the species' tolerance. The project rated itself Successful, citing a steadily increasing population, improved water quality and lowered stream temperatures, and the removal of dam barriers that once blocked salmon movement.