Data sources

Sources of literature and documents used in this review come from associated academic research reports and papers, governmental documents and meeting minutes (in Reference, Appendix V and Vlll), and newspapers^ (see Appendix 111).

^ In total 311 news from 19 Taiwanese newspapers, spanning from July 1991 to Mareh 1999, were eolleeted from the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters and the W uling Farm Office.

L in (1988); L in a n d C h a n g (1 9 8 9 ) Destruction Conservation — W a n g (1994) 1938 1945 Protection Neglect 198 6 1992 Species protection Artificial propagation and population

conservation

Habitat management and environmental education

S 1917 T h is s tu d y 1945 I: initiation 1984 1997 1992 199 5 2000

II: Neglect and restart I I I IV

Protection by the Council of Agriculture - Protection by the Shei-Pa National Park

Planning for Wildlife Refuge — Management o f Wildlife Refuge

V I

3.3. Stage I (1917-1945): Initiation

The first stage starts in 1917 when the Salmon was first discovered in Taiwan in the Japanese colonial period and ends in 1945, the end of World War II.

3.3.1. Knowledge resources

3.3.1.1. Meanings and values of the Salmon

Initially the Salmon had economic and cultural importance to the indigenous people. It was fished for food by indigenous people for more than four thousand years (Liu 1997 and 1998). They also believed that the Salmon had some communication with their ancestors (Koshigi and Nakamura 1938, Liu 1997 and 1998).

The Salmon was given scientific importance with its discovery in 1917. Its presence in a subtropical area like Taiwan attracted the attention of zoologists and geographers, both in Japan and abroad. It was seen as an unusual ‘glacial relief and its distribution in Taiwan marked the second southernmost limit of the trout family in the world. In 1938, it was designated by the government as a ‘Nature Monument’ of Taiwan (Jordan and Oshima 1919, Koshigi and Nakamura 1938, Kano 1940).

3.3.1.2. Salmon population and key factors limiting its distribution and performance From the beginning, the distribution of the Salmon in Taiwan was restricted to the upper Tachia River Basin and there was a declining population trend. The population of the Salmon was recorded mainly qualitatively rather than quantitatively. Kano (1940) described the Salmon as ‘fairly common throughout the area’ in the six reaches of the upper Tachia River Basin, including the Chichiawan, the Hsuehshan, the Sukaran, the Yousheng, the Nanhu, and the Hohuan streams (Figure 3-3).

Koshigi and Nakamura (1938) reported in more detail that the population of the Salmon was found to be still large in the Chichiawan and the Hsuehshan streams, but became less abundant in the Hohuan and the Yousheng streams, and its presence was uncertain in the Nanhu stream.

Kano (1940) explored the reason why the distribution of the Salmon was restricted to the upper Tachia River Basin and concluded that it was because the natural environment of the area was unique. After investigating 12 sections of the Tachia River and comparing its longitudinal sections with other streams at altitudes above 1500m in Taiwan, he found that the upper Tachia River Basin had a longer and more gentle river course, colder water temperatures (10.5-15.5°C) in the spawning season of the Salmon), and richer aquatic insects than other rivers.

In their 1938 study, Koshigi and Nakamura had observed that the Salmon population was declining and cautioned that the overfishing activity by the indigenous people of the area could lead to the Salmon becoming extinct. Details of their observations of that overfishing activity however were not documented.

3.3.1.3. Salmon conservation strategy

In the official report of the Nature Monument (5) in 1938, Koshigi and Nakamura (1938) put forward several conservation strategies, including the prohibition of introducing alien fish and spawn, restrictions on fishing during the spawning season in the Chichiawan stream, and prohibition of deforestation and landform change within a 300m zone on either side of the Chichiawan stream. Details of reasons on which these recommendations were based were not documented.

2717 Chichi(m’an. Sheishan

I

Tachia Upper *-* River Basin ▲ 3370 Peak and Height (m )

Stream

«ntniiiiuil^ Reservoir Central Cross- island Highway

O V illage

/ Check Dam (Tsao 1995)

Figure 3-3 Map of the case-study area and the upper Tachia River Basin

'-j

3.3.2. Relational resources

3.3.2.1. Composition of stakeholders

The upper Tachia River Basin was set up as a Special Aborigine District for governing indigenous people by the Japanese government at this stage, with entrances to the District strictly controlled by the Japanese police. During this period, there were about 400 indigenous people living in the area (Pan 1998). A few scientists also began to visit the area as part of their research after the discovery of the Salmon in 1917.

3.3.2.2. Working relationships

At this stage, involvement of different stakeholders in Salmon conservation was restricted to some scientists and government institutions. Indigenous people and their fishing activity were regarded as negative factors that could damage the population of the Salmon. During the 1920s and 30s, the Japanese government, collaborating with a few Japanese scientists, promoted a survey o f National Monuments in Taiwan as part of a wider project designed to carry out an inventory of nature resources (Huang H.W. 1998). Scientists like Koshigi and Nakamura put the Salmon on the list and suggested some strategies for protecting the Salmon’s habitat and maintaining its population.

3.3.3. Mobilisation capacity

Scientists and Japanese government officials played a dominant role in advancing their claims about Salmon conservation. However, lack of records means that it is difficult to determine what institutional arrangements they employed to undertake

practical conservation work.

3.3.4. Outcomes

The precise outcome of the practical conservation work was not clear. Though some basic research was carried out, no detailed population records were made of the Salmon. Although, Wang (1994a) titled the period 1938-1945 as a ‘protection period’ because the Salmon was designated a National Monument and some conservation strategies were developed in the late 1930s. The precise outcome, if any, was not documented. It is questionable whether any conservation strategies had been put into practice during a period when Japan, the colonial government of Taiwan, started a full-scale war with China in 1937 and was engaged in the Pacific War in 1941.