Tainan: Taijiang National Park in Tainan has announced the implementation of traffic controls to safeguard mangrove land crabs during their peak breeding and migration seasons, between July and September. The initiative aims to prevent the crabs from being killed by vehicles while crossing roads during their migration.
According to Focus Taiwan, the traffic controls will be enforced from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on specified dates: July 1 to July 5, July 30 to August 3, and August 29 to September 2. The restricted area spans a 2-kilometer stretch between Lane 1105, Section 3 of Chengxi Street, and the Qingcaolun Coast Guard Post. During these periods, only vehicles on official business, disaster prevention, or rescue operations will be allowed entry.
The park headquarters has advised the public to avoid nearby areas as well, as some crabs will be migrating there. Controlled zones for pedestrians will be established at key migration hotspots, with visitors asked to adhere to local regulations and minimize disturbances to the crabs.
Officers from the Seventh Special Police Corps will be stationed in the area, and volunteers will conduct surveys and patrols during the migration period. The mangrove land crab, also known as the chestnut crab, is Taiwan's largest terrestrial crab species, primarily found around river mouths and in coastal forests, mangrove areas, and marshlands.
According to park headquarters, the Chengxi Village area and surrounding coastal forests are crucial habitats for the species, supporting Taiwan's largest known population. During the breeding season, female crabs migrate to the coast to release their eggs into the sea. The eggs hatch into zoea larvae, progressing through several molting stages before becoming megalopa larvae and eventually returning to land habitats.
The migration route's proximity to roads near the coast makes the crabs vulnerable to vehicle strikes, necessitating the annual traffic restrictions to ensure their safety.