Ecological disaster in Miaoli – Hakka Compound becomes bullfrog compound

On the 5th of May 2011, Miaoli County Government’s website announced news that it had released native frogs into the environment. However, from the accompanying video footage, it became clear that the frogs were none other that the invasive foreign American bullfrog species, igniting a wave of controversy.

The government press release stated that a species of native frog had been released into the ecological pond adjacent to Miaoli County Government’s tourist service center, as well as in the three ecological ponds around The Hakka Compound (銅鑼客家大院). However, it quickly emerged that the government had in fact released 700 catties of American bullfrog, an invasive foreign species known as T-rex in frog circles. Miaoli Biological Society chairman Hung Wei-feng (洪維鋒) said that sized bigger than the palm of the average adult person, and including small frogs and fish within its food sources, the American bullfrog has the capacity to eat everything in an entire pond to extinction, creating an ecological catastrophe.

On arrival at The Hakka Compound, CJ Jerry (傑利) saw a few pairs of American bullfrogs mating in the pond, raising his fears that thousands of small bullfrogs would soon be born. Often living in excess of 10 years, American bullfrogs have a life span longer than that of most other frog species, and can lay more than 30,000 eggs at a time. Furthermore, due to The Hakka Compound’s drainage system, during the rainy season or typhoon season, bullfrogs could easily find their way into Holung River, raising the potential for an ecological disaster no less catastrophic than that inflicted by the giant Amazon snail (Ampullaria gigas spix).

In addition to calling on the authorities to deal with the situation immediately, the CJ wishes to emphasis that by simply creating a good frog habitat, native frogs will naturally colonize, reproduce and maintain the native frog population – surely a more appropriate method to employ in terms of both the environment and biodiversity.

Ecological disaster in Miaoli – Hakka Compound becomes bullfrog compound
URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/76402 

(以下是中文對照)

苗栗生態浩刧 客家大院變牛蛙大院

苗栗縣政府在2011年5月5日於網站上公告一則放流本土青蛙的新聞，不過照片上的青蛙卻是外來入侵種的牛蛙，引爆爭議。 

苗栗縣政府於旅遊服務中心旁的生態池，及銅鑼客家大院的三個生態池放流新聞稿上所稱的本土蛙類，但實際上是放流有「蛙界暴龍」之稱的外來入侵種「牛蛙」一共七百斤。苗栗縣自然生態學會理事長洪維鋒表示，牛蛙的體型比成人的手掌還要大，牠的食物來源包括小型蛙類、魚類，牠會把整個池子中的幼小動物都吃光滅絕，將是生態浩劫。

公民記者傑利走訪客家大院，直擊數對牛蛙在池中求偶，恐怕數萬隻小牛蛙就快誕生了，牛蛙的壽命比一般蛙類長，往往可活到十年以上，加上一對牛蛙每次繁殖可產下三萬顆以上的卵，而客家大院的排水系統只要雨季或颱風天，牛蛙就可順勢進入後龍溪，對當地生態的衝擊不亞於福壽螺。

公民記者呼籲相關單位應該立即處理，也建議只要營造好適合青蛙棲息的環境，自然就會有本土蛙類前來拓殖，並繁衍可容納的族群量，這樣才是對環境以及對生物多樣性比較適合的方式。