Invasive giant snakehead fish have disrupted the ecological balance of Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan, though local officials, fishers and even restaurateurs have been working hard to bring their numbers down.
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00:00This is Taiwan's renowned Sun Moon Lake, the country's largest body of water, is
00:06also among its most scenic spots, hosting dozens of endemic aquatic species.
00:12But its natural balance and serenity have come under threat.
00:15Native to Southeast Asia, the giant snakehead has appeared in Sun Moon Lake and been preying
00:21on other species, which they're able to swallow whole.
00:25The large predator was first brought to the country as ornamental fish for aquariums.
00:43Adult giant snakeheads can exceed one meter in length, and out in the open, they can be
00:47difficult to catch.
00:49It also has virtually no natural competitors or predators here, so the government introduced
00:54an eradication plan to control its population.
00:58In 2020, nearly 70,000 giant snakeheads were removed through electrofishing, which uses
01:05electrical rods that cause uncontrolled muscular convulsions in the fish.
01:10And then once they're close enough, the fish are stunned.
01:13This operation seems to be working.
01:16Last year, over 35,000 giant snakeheads were caught using the same method.
01:21And this year, the number dropped to less than 3,500, but officials say it's too early
01:26to celebrate.
01:27Local fishers like Mr. Chen are also doing what they can to protect the local fish.
01:55They're fishing out before sunrise, when the invasive giant snakeheads tend to feed,
01:59to set up traps.
02:18But sometimes the fish outsmart the fishers, eating the live bait and avoiding the hook.
02:26But there's another way the locals are addressing the overpopulation of giant snakeheads, turning
02:31those that are caught into a delicacy.
02:39But the invasive species hasn't disappeared just yet.
02:43And until it does, fishers, officials, and restaurateurs here in Sun Moon Lake will keep
02:48finding their own ways to address this issue, determined to resolve the matter by hook or
02:53by crook.
02:54Howard Zhang and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.