The snake-eating turtle is critically endangered, strengthening conservation efforts and considering restrictions on entry to protected areas during the breeding season

The Forestry Bureau stated today that in addition to adjusting the important habitat range for the endangered wild Snakehead Turtle in conjunction with the cadastral survey, human hunting has improved under cross-agency and community participation patrols. They are considering increasing control in protected areas and restricting access during the breeding season. On the 7th, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on its official website the adjustment of the category and scope of the "Important Habitat Environment for the Wild Snakehead Turtle at the Feitsui Reservoir." The Forestry and Nature Conservation Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture told Central News Agency reporters that this adjustment is in line with the cadastral land number survey, with little change in area. One erroneous entry was removed, and five pieces of land were added, resulting in an adjusted area of over 1,286 hectares, located in the Shiding District of New Taipei City. Huang Hsiu-Chuan, Deputy Director of the Conservation Management Division of the Forestry Bureau, said that the "Important Habitat Environment for the Wild Snakehead Turtle at the Feitsui Reservoir" and the "Wild Snakehead Turtle Protected Area at the Feitsui Reservoir" were announced as early as 2013. Access to the protected area is generally restricted and requires an application. According to the data from the Forestry Bureau, population surveys conducted in Yilan and Hualien from 2014 to 2015 and from 2018 to 2019 showed that the distribution range and population size of the wild population have rapidly decreased or disappeared in the last 15 years, with only sporadic individuals captured in localized areas. Most existing populations have shown a population size that is too small and a population density that is too low, making it difficult to maintain long-term survival through natural reproduction. Huang Hsiu-Chuan mentioned that poaching was rampant in the past, and while it cannot be said that there are no such problems now, in recent years, the Forestry Bureau, along with the Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Management Office and the 7th Special Police Corps, have strengthened patrols and encouraged surrounding communities to participate in conservation efforts. For example, the Yong'an community has long participated in community forestry projects and will join the ecological service payment program for the Snakehead Turtle in 2024 to conduct self-patrols. Local residents have recorded sightings of the Snakehead Turtle, and after assessment, the current protected area range and surrounding populations are stable, with significant improvements in poaching situations. Huang Hsiu-Chuan stated that the Snakehead Turtle is distributed in central and southern China, the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan, including Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island, and has records in Taiwan's Yilan, Hualien, Nantou, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung (including Hengchun). They inhabit mountainous areas below 600 meters above sea level, which often overlap with human activities. The protected area is designated in the Shiding District, which is state-owned land, and has been surveyed with relatively stable populations, facilitating conservation plans. Conservation efforts need to be strengthened. Huang Hsiu-Chuan said that access to the protected area is generally restricted and requires an application. The Forestry Bureau will also increase management efforts and consider restrictions on access during the breeding season, except for necessary official duties. Relevant regulations will be published as soon as the review is completed, and if successful, it is expected to be announced in the first half of the year. According to the data on the Forestry Bureau's official website, the Taiwan Red Book catalog assessed the threat category of the Snakehead Turtle as Vulnerable (VU) in 2017; the conservation level under the Wildlife Conservation Act was raised from Rare and Precious to Endangered in 2019; and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessed it as Endangered (EN) in 2000