TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kinmen County Government, in partnership with conservation group Aquatic Renewal Workshop, released the endemic large-scale lesser-bream into Kinmen’s Qingtian Reservoir on Friday.

The large-scale lesser-bream has been extinct on Taiwan’s main island since the 1920s, per CNA. Field surveys suggest Kinmen may now serve as the species’ last natural refuge.

Li Tzu-wei (李姿維), head of Kinmen’s Agriculture and Forestry Section, said the species’ declining numbers in the wild prompted collaboration with Aquatic Renewal Workshop to expand conservation work. Workshop head Chen Kuang-yao (陳光耀) said initial field research found fewer than 200 individuals in the wild.

Thanks to a focused recovery effort, populations have since rebounded, with an estimated 28,000 in Taiwu Pond and about 15,000 in Lung Ling Lake.

Addressing conditions in Qingtian Reservoir, Chen acknowledged the presence of invasive species, but said he remains hopeful the lesser-bream can coexist with them. Because the reservoir lies within a restricted area with limited human activity, he said it provides an ideal site for reintroducing the species into a semi-natural habitat.

Kinmen County began conservation efforts for the lesser-bream in 2012 but faced setbacks in 2018 after invasive species were introduced via aqueducts that import water from China, per Kinmen Daily News. Following consultations with experts, the government designated Taiwu Pond as the core site for its conservation operations.

During the droughts of 2020 and 2021, the government drained Taiwu Pond to remove invasive species. The lesser-bream were reintroduced in 2022, and the species has since thrived, spreading downstream during the rainy season.

National Taiwan Ocean University professor Chen I-shiung (陳義雄) highlighted the ecological importance of the species, saying that sacrificing a native species to solve Kinmen’s water shortage is “not a good bargain.” He warned that predatory carp introduced to Kinmen’s waterways in 2018 pose a serious threat to the lesser-bream due to their size, aggressiveness, and high fertility, per UDN.

Asked why the large-scale lesser-bream disappeared from Taiwan’s main island, Chen cited a combination of factors: pollution, invasive species, riverbank concreting, and widespread pesticide use. 

Chen explained that the fish requires freshwater habitats at low altitudes, such as mountain foothills and marshlands. He added that Kinmen’s unique geography, limited development, and relatively clean environment make it the last suitable refuge for the species in Taiwan.