Marine Life Diversity

   Marine Life Diversity - Restoration of Cetacean Population

TECO will continue its search for concrete carbon removal methods on the foundation of the joint international goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Generally speaking, afforestation is the most direct method of carbon removal. However, it is not easy to find a large-scale site for afforestation in Taiwan due to the shortage of land and high population density. In view of the fact that Taiwan is surrounded by oceans, the identification of a marine carbon fixation method is more meaningful. TECO has initiated discussions and planning with NGOs and academic organizations regarding restoration of cetacean populations. An IMF research report reveals that each whale sequesters 33 tons of CO2 on average. Overall, whale populations are now less than one-fourth what they once were. The restoration of whale population is therefore of paramount importance to the implementation of “carbon removal”, and protection of “marine life diversity”. Our actions start from identification of individual cetaceans and recording of their movement: Identification of individual cetaceans helps us understand the social structure of cetacean populations. TECO sponsors the AI identification system for Risso's dolphins, or “Photo ID”, to identify them and their movement tracks automatically from numerous photos of the observers according to the scar analysis and individual features. 45 Risso’s dolphins and 10 sperm whales are identified currently. These two commonly recorded populations will be used as a core for future extension to improve the effectiveness of the AI identification as quickly as possible.