Dr. Jeng grew up in Peng Hu. As a kid he made his own fishing rods and baits. While in college, he returned to Peng Hu to work as a fisherman during his vacations to earn his college tuition fees. His experiences created a special bond between him and the ocean. Jeng said,¡¨I went fishing for squids with the fishermen during my college vacation, and there was one night when we caught a total of over 500 kilograms of squids. I was allotted seven thousand NT dollars in a single night. But now ocean resources are badly depleted and we haven¡¦t seen such a night for a long time. The fishing boats are getting bigger and bigger, yet sadly, the catch is getting smaller. ¡¨

Jeng pointed out that although we live on an island, we know very little about the ocean. Our primary school textbook contained a verse about how ¡§the skies grew dark and the winds blew wild, my father has gone fishing and has yet to return.¡¨ The ocean evokes scary images. We are not taught to love and appreciate the beauty of the ocean. And now, as pollution increases and wave breakers line our shorelines, the ocean becomes even more inaccesible, and the vicious cycle continues. ¡§Taiwan is globally known as the kingdom of yachts, yet not many people can swim.¡¨ Dr. Jeng commented. ¡§In other countries, it¡¦s perfectly normal for a kid to learn to swim, but in Taiwan a child who swims is regarded as someone worthy of praise. That¡¦s really strange because we live in a place surrounded by the sea!¡¨

Jeng believes that the protection of our natural environment is a universal value. Besides conducting research, he also gives talks to promote environmental awareness, hoping to instill love for our ocean. Unfortunately, he thinks that Taiwan's education system has much room for improvement. Everyone is putting emphasis on being the top of the class. Jeng remembered that he was once on the committee of the Sinica Academia Biology Gifted Class. Most of the candidates were from prestigious high schools, but most of them cannot answer simple questions like ¡§Name five types of vegetables found in the market¡¨, ¡§Name five types of fish¡¨, ¡§Name three types of plants in your school campus¡¨. ¡§It is just unbelievable. People are putting academic results ahead of capability, which is a shame.¡¨

The failing education system has a negative impact on conservation. Take coconut crabs for example. Before they were listed as protected species, they were sold for less that 200 NT dollars per 600 grams. Now their prices have skyrocketed. Many gourmets now believe that the crabs are precious delicacies, and this has posed a threat to their survival.

Being a long term advocate of ocean research and conservation, Jeng also believes that the government is not doing enough to protect the ocean. The government agencies lack the expertise to protect marine resources. Our culture places every emphasis on what we can enjoy as food from the ocean, and ignores the diversity of values that the ocean has to offer. No wonder the recources are depleted.

Jeng would like our readers to know that everyone can play a part in protecting the ocean. Ask your family to stop buying and eating coral fish, choosing cultured fish species like the tilapia and the milk fish instead. Refrain from bringing home sea shells and hermit crabs when you visit the seaside. And be a nosy environmentalist, report any violations that you see! If we don¡¦t pitch in now, our younger generations may never be able to enjoy the diverse culture of the ocean.