MOI faulted for failing to prevent starfish outbreakStaff writer, with CNAThe Control Yuan yesterday faulted the Ministry of the Interior for failing to act promptly after receiving early warnings of a crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak in Dongsha Atoll National Park, urging corrective measures and long-term follow-ups to protect the coral reefs. Academic teams detected an abnormal number of starfish in the park in 2019 and 2023, and reported their findings to the ministry, Control Yuan member Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said. Official estimates showed that the outbreak has affected about 60 hectares of reef and that there were about 74,000 starfish at its peak. Despite intensive removal efforts, there are still about 30,000 starfish remaining and they continue to threaten coral ecosystems, Tien said. The Control Yuan urged the Executive Yuan to coordinate across agencies to streamline access procedures, bolster frontline capacity and improve monitoring of high-risk areas.

Source: Taipei Times December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC