CHANGHUA (TVBS News) — The Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, a significant religious event in Taiwan, passed through Pitou Township in Changhua County on Thursday (April 11). Conservation groups closely followed the procession, urging the public to protect the endangered Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin, also known as the "Mazu Fish."
Members of the Matsu Fish Conservation Union participated in parts of the pilgrimage, praying for Mazu, the Sea Goddess, to protect the endangered dolphins. The dolphins are often sighted around the time of Mazu's birthday, which falls on the 23rd day of the third month in the lunar calendar.
Robin Winkler, a former environmental review committee member from 2005 to 2007, has been focusing on the conservation of the Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin. Due to global climate change, marine development, reduced nutrient sources at river mouths, underwater noise, and accidental capture in fishing nets, the dolphin population has dwindled to approximately 60.
The Matsu Fish Conservation Union has been following the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage for over a decade. They hope to use the event to educate the large number of followers about marine environmental protection and jointly safeguard marine ecology.
