TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) traveled to Penghu on Sunday (Sept. 8), where he participated in an activity to clean up abandoned fishing nets from the seabed.

Peng said the work was tiring but important to the ecosystem as abandoned or “ghost nets” trap sea life and damage coral reefs, per CNA. Peng pledged to remain committed to this work despite it being out of the eye of the general public.

He said the cleaning of abandoned nets should take place annually. Peng donned diving equipment and dove to a depth of six meters to remove abandoned nets near Magong’s Suogang Fishing Port. 

The Ministry of Environment (MOEVN) has provided subsidies of NT$15.2 million (US$475,000) to clean up fishing nets. In four years, more than 70,000 kilograms and 110,000 meters of abandoned fishing nets have been gathered from Penghu. However, the haul revealed recently abandoned fishing nets.

Fishing is the main economic activity in Penghu. The county government is considering implementing a real-name system for fishing nets to curb ghost nets.