Taijiang National ParkTaijiang National Park

Now is the breeding season for Cardisoma carnifex descending into the sea to spawn their offspring. The Taijiang National Park organizes a citizen scientist participation plan to protect these land crabs. The Sixth River Management Office (of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs) conducts research on the best ways to reduce obstructions on the riverbanks to facilitate the migration of land crabs into the sea, where they can spawn their young.

The "Ecological Survey Corps" of Tainan Community University will launch a crab protection and safe road crossing operation on the scooter pathway along the Yanshui River, with various agencies supporting with practical actions and investigations on land crab conservation according to their respective powers and responsibilities.

Taijiang National Park held a meeting with various crab protection units and groups to share experiences and achievements in crab protection work in the greater Taijiang area on July 6, 2022. Teachers Qiu Yuwen and Zhuang Mengxian, the Sixth River Management Office, Tainan Social University, the 7th Brigade of the 7th Police Corps (National Police Administration, Ministry of the Interior), the 11^th Brigade of the Southern Coast Guard (Ocean Affairs Council, Coast Guard Administration,), the Chengxi Community Development Association, and (ECOVE Environment Services Corporation attended the meeting and expressed their determination and support for the crab protection work.

Four points of consensus were reached at the meeting:

1. Ensure the integrity of the land crab habitat and maintain biodiversity through land crab conservation actions in line with the core values of national park conservation.

2. Reduce disturbance to land crab habitats caused by infrastructure projects, prioritizing methods that cause the least disturbance and avoid negative ecological impact as much as possible, follow the four principles of avoidance, reduction, mitigation, and compensation when formulating policies, to reduce the impact on the environment and pursue environmentally friendly goals.

3. Carry out environmental education through community colleges and the Taijiang Wetland School to disseminate correct knowledge on crab protection and consolidate land crab conservation.

4. Provide safe passages for land crabs to descend to the sea and spawn their young, through applied biology, ecological science, eco-friendly engineering, community participation and social education with participation from community residents and interested citizens.

In July and August—the peak migration period of land crabs descending to the sea to spawn their young—Taijiang National Park will enforce crab protecting traffic restrictions along two kilometers of road from the intersection of Lane 1105, Chengxi Street Sec. 3 (in front of Shuiduoduoyuan) to the Qingcaolun Coast Guard Station. The traffic restriction times are as follows:

1. July 14-16, 18:30 - 21:30 hours
2. July 30 - August 1, 18:30 - 21:30 hours
3. August 13-15, 18:30 - 21:30 hours

These times—days 2, 4, 16, 18 of the lunar calendar—help the devil crabs safely cross the roads toward the sea during the peak of their breeding season.

During the traffic restrictions, no vehicle will be allowed to pass except for essential official duties, disaster prevention, rescue work and special circumstances. During the same period, the Taijiang Land Crab Citizen Scientist Participation Program will also train volunteers to conduct surveys and patrols during the crab breeding season and help the police patrol this land crab hotspot. The public is asked to cooperate, so that the pregnant crabs can safely cross the road and reach the sea to produce their sponges of 1-2 million eggs—per mother crab, that is! Let’s all make this happy and beautiful event work!