Xiamen's 1st artificial island may pose threat to rare 'fossil' fish

From What's On Xiamen: Xiamen's 1st artificial island may pose threat to rare 'fossil' fish
The proposed first artificial island in Xiamen violates the boundary of a reservation for a rare lancelet species, propelling environmental activists to urge for a detailed assessment, reports China Youth Daily.

The reclaimed island, which is expected to be a high-end conference center, will settle in Tong’an Bay, according to an earlier report.

Xiamen lancelet, a rare fish under second class state protection, is regarded as key to the evolution of vertebrates.

Zhou Yun, a famous reporter with Nanfang Daily, said the artificial island will challenge the city in water, power supply and waste treatment, not to mention it is to be located in the national reservation.

It will be located in the exterior of the reservation, where the current law doesn’t provide an answer to its development, said an unnamed official with the Xiamen Marine and Fishery Bureau.

The project’s influence on Xiamen lancelet and ocean dynamics will be included in an ongoing environment impact assessment, said a researcher, known only as Chen, with the Third Institute of Oceanology.