TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cobia in waters around Penghu are dying in large numbers, it was reported on Sunday (July 21). 

Over the past few days, a mass die-off of cobia has been reported with dead fish around Xiyu Island in Penghu, waters near Magong port, and Wukan Island, per UDN. Cobia and eels held in box nets for local fish farms are being seriously affected.

Breeding farms near Zhuwan, Erkan, and Xiaomen on Xiyu Island have all reported mass deaths of cobia and eels, between 500 and 3,000 for each fish farm. The Fisheries Research Institute Penghu office has been contacted and officials dispatched to investigate the cause. 

Initial reports suggest that the high temperatures in recent days have warmed the waters around Penghu, which may have brought large populations of jellyfish near the Penghu coast. Jellyfish entering fish farm enclosures may be poisoning the cobia and eels, or affecting the water quality in their enclosures. 

Some fish near the ocean’s surface may also be dying due to the summer heat. 

As the Fisheries Research Institute takes samples and conducts tests to determine the precise cause of the die-off, the fish farm operators can only try to remove the carcasses and jellyfish as they pile up. More losses are expected for Penghu cobia and eel farmers over the coming weeks.