Jilong Island
Jilong Island (基隆嶼), also known as Keelung Island, is an uninhabited island in the East China Sea off the northeastern coast of Taiwan. Historically called Jilongyu or Jilongyì, the island is home to no permanent residents aside from Coast Guard personnel, making casual landings off-limits under normal circumstances. However, ocean currents have caused massive accumulations of marine debris and fishing waste along its leeward shoreline — and on this tiny outcrop just 4 kilometres from the Taiwanese mainland, shoreline cleanup is an especially daunting task.
BlueTrend's the Editor joined the Divemate diving community for a beach cleanup event organized by the Keelung City Government. Together with 600 passionate volunteers, we set foot on this speck of an island for the very first time — a milestone in our personal collection of Taiwan's outlying islands. Read on to see just how staggering the haul of rubbish turned out to be!
Departing from Bisha Fishing Harbor aboard recreational fishing vessels — 16 boats answered the call
A spirited team of 20 — plus one international friend — storming Jilong Island!
Jilong Island rises majestically above the waterline
Jilong Island stretches approximately 960 metres from northeast to southwest and about 400 metres wide, covering an area of roughly 24 hectares. Its highest peak reaches 182 metres above sea level, and its silhouette resembles a whale. A volcanic island, it features well-developed marine erosion landforms.
A very rudimentary port — in need of repairs before the island opens to tourism
The mission began the moment we landed — heading up the trail toward the northern shore where marine debris had accumulated
Passing through a man-made tunnel to reach the northern back hills
Volunteers diligently picking up (and hauling) marine debris
Tallying up the count at a platform along the trail
No beach cleanup is complete without adorable little kids joining in
The sheer volume of rubbish required Coast Guard personnel to cart it away with utility vehicles
A big thank-you to the Divemate community for joining this event
A friend from Denver, Colorado, USA joined our ranks
According to official figures, the cleanup collected a total of 3,492 plastic bottles, 833 pieces of styrofoam, 446 bottle caps, and 311 fishing buoys. The vast majority of the waste originated from fishing industry activities. Because Jilong Island is so difficult to access, it cannot host regular beach cleanups the way the Taiwanese mainland can, and the accumulation of rubbish over time has been truly staggering.
Perhaps most of us will never set foot on Jilong Island, and never witness this shocking sight with our own eyes — but if Scout kids and foreign friends are willing to give up a precious day off to pitch in and care for Taiwan, what's stopping you? The Editor once heard a saying: "Collective indifference is the real killer." If we continue to turn a blind eye to environmental issues, we may one day be left with nothing but century-old stone deities silently watching over a land we once took for granted.
Ancient deities stand watch in silence over this land — but it's up to all of us to take real action and care for Taiwan
Related links:
- Divemate — Join an ocean cleanup event
- Xiaoliuqiu Ocean Volunteer Team — Join an ocean cleanup event
- 動手愛台灣 (Hands-On Love Taiwan) — Join a beach cleanup event
- 寶島淨鄉團 (Formosa County Beauty) — Join a beach cleanup event
- RE-THINK — Join a beach cleanup event
- From tech geek to the "trash gardener" of Keelung Chaoqing Park — Divemate's Lin Yu-ping
There are many more groups you can get involved with — but honestly, simply cutting back on plastic bags and plastic bottles in your daily life can already make the world a better place!
