Taiwan's academic community recently gave the nation's fishing villages some disturbing New Year presents. From fish polluted by organo-chlorine pesticides to oysters tainted with heavy metals, the story is the same. A research paper based on limited sampling was interpreted out of context by the media, causing an uproar among domestic consumers. After a dramatic plunge in fish sales infuriated the fishermen and unleashed a blame game among top officials, our legislators and elected officials performed for the media, eating raw fish in public to allay public fears. Once the criticism abated, the events gradually faded from public memory.
Whether these fishery products can harm public health certainly needs to be discussed. But it is worth looking into the fact that these events reflect the fragility of Taiwan's fishing villages on the eve of the country's entry into the WTO. How could an academic report hold such sway over fishermen's livelihoods? The authorities in charge of agricultural affairs have their hands full dealing with the impact of pollution, quite apart from the bigger issue of the WTO.
Those familiar with the status of Taiwan's fishing villages will agree that the biggest crisis lies in the fishermen's and farmers' associations. "Black gold" politics have caused these associations to wither drastically. It is certainly reasonable that the new government's reforms are focused on improving local financial institutions and reforming the elections of farmers' and fishermen's associations. Such functional adjustment, however, is clearly not enough. A more thorough reform should bring the associations into the "ecotourism" sphere and usher in a new era for the farming and fishing villages.
Some fishermen in southern Taiwan have already reacted to this problem by trying to transform fish farming into a basic-level recreational fishing industry. Without comprehensive planning, this transformation will cause a variety of safety and ecological problems, relating to such things as parking space, garbage, polluted water and illegal rental of fishing boats.
After the transformation, the fishermen's and farmers' associations should encourage fishermen and farmers to move toward recreational fishing and farming industries. For example, fishermen could purchase old fishing boats, or wash and fix their boats in non-fishing seasons, to open up "harborside hotels." In addition, they could draw up blueprints to turn their special fish ponds into "fishing labyrinths." They could also map out tourist fish markets to fit in with local routine fishing work. The associations could also help the private sector to set up "sea fishing parks," or "seacoast public boarding zones."
Aside from the hardware, however, it is necessary to hold more meaningful cultural activities -- that is, new opportunities for the further development of fishing villages. Each fishermen and farmer association, for example, could designate a "Harbor Day" for every harbor. It could be a local festival like the goddess Matsu's (媽祖) birthday, the first day of the black mullet season, or the anniversary of a harbor's opening. What's more, through such celebrations, the associations could rally support from the local populace to set up fishing exhibition and sale centers, collect information related to the development of the fishing industry and the production processes, and develop industry- related tourism.
Only by seizing the opportunity and using imagination can the government tackle both the symptoms and the root cause of the ills besetting the fishing industries -- and squarely face up to the WTO challenge.
Julian Kuo is an associate professor of political science at Soochow University.
Translated by Gatian Wang and Francis Huang
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.