Overfishing has reached the point where our capacity to catch fish has exceeded the ability of fish stocks to replenish themselves with the result that global marine resources are being rapidly depleted. For this reason, an international consensus has arisen urging the imposition of restrictions and the implementation of strict controls over the exploitation of marine resources — in an effort to allow fish stocks to rebuild. To a large extent, this drive will also help reduce the development of open sea fishing.
Finding the right balance between protecting fish resources, giving fishing communities the chance to make a living and satisfying consumer demand has become the focus for nations which border the sea as they seek to develop their fishing industries.
Taiwan is surrounded by an ocean where the waters of the Kuroshio current (black tide) and the Oyashio current (parent tide) meet, making the island a once-fertile fishing ground. Unfortunately, the absence of a long-term fishing industry development strategy and the unbridled exploitation of this resource have conspired to substantially reduce fish stocks. Taiwan has the highest concentration of fishing ports in the world — many of which have fallen into disuse — but these former ports tend to export more mosquitoes than fish these days.
The days of big catches of snakehead fish, glass eels, tuna and flying fish are well and truly over. Fish markets and wholesale outlets these days are full of imported frozen fish with little freshly caught fish on sale. Catches of highly valuable fish are usually sold to the Chinese.
Government institutions responsible for the fishing industry say that the government takes the conservation of fishing stocks seriously and is setting aside large funds for projects such as releasing fish fry and laying artificial reefs. They claim there have been promising results. Statistics, however, paint a different picture. According to official figures, the catch volume for near-sea and coastal fishing is 129,000 tonnes and 35,000 tonnes respectively, with a value of NT$8.9 billion (US$300.3 million) and NT$2.6 billion. These figures are actually lower than they were 10 years ago, when they stood at 159,000 tonnes and 50,000 tonnes, with a value of NT$12.3 billion and NT$4.4 billion. Also, the near-sea and coastal catch volume represents just 10.99 percent and 2.98 percent of the total catch volume.
This shocking state of affairs illustrates the need for a major overhaul of Taiwan’s fisheries policy. The government should restructure the industry as soon as possible, before our fishermen’s very subsistence is decided from outside through international fishing quota allocations.
We are seeing various trends develop: Catches are dwindling as the number of fishing vessels continues to climb. Also, we are seeing large, high-value varieties of fish being replaced with smaller, less-valuable species, while carnivorous, higher forms of marine life are replaced by lower, planktivorous forms.
Fish are an important source of animal protein for humans and are part of an international industry worth US$120 billion a year. Something like 260 million people around the world rely on the fishing industry for a living. If we are serious about promoting a sustainable fishing industry, I would recommend we adopt a number of measures.
Firstly, we should devise and implement a fishing quota management system, along the lines of the one adopted in EU nations. The Council of the EU issues an annual legal directive stipulating the total catch volume allowed for each type of marine animal, which is then discussed in the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council by ministers from the various member states and quotas are allocated to each country.
Next, we need to have comprehensive fish catch volume figures and demand that fishermen maintain detailed diaries recording the size of the daily haul, as well as collating more reliable statistics on how much fish is returned to port and sold in markets. We also need to prohibit direct sales out at sea and to ramp up supervision along maritime shipping routes.
Thirdly, we should implement measures which protect marine resources to allow fish stocks to replenish themselves. Strict regulation of net mesh size is also needed, as well as guidance on the age of fish to ensure that juveniles are released. The outlawing of certain fishing equipment or techniques — such as bottom-trawling and electro-fishing — needs to be implemented, as well as establishing non-fishing zones and a moratorium on certain kinds of fishing.
Another thing that needs to happen is that fishing vessels and catch-sizes must be limited to stop further fish stock depletion.
Next, we need to strictly supervise the regulations. In Norway, for example — in an effort to more effectively coordinate activities of the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, the national coast guard, the Fisheries Council and marketing mechanisms — the coast guard has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Royal Norwegian Navy, which falls under the control of the Ministry of Defense. Members of the coast guard undergo six weeks of training — run by the Directorate of Fisheries — every year on the laws and regulations relevant to their duties.
Then we need to establish a comprehensive fisheries data management system which incorporates designated management systems focusing on figures and statistics on fishing quotas, economic data, an out-at-sea fishing catch diary, sales on returning to port, registration of boats and crews, along with relevant figures about aquafarms.
Another avenue we can look into is to seek out multilateral fishing investment and cooperation opportunities. This measure would help avoid disputes over our fishermen entering into waters claimed by other countries, something that can sometimes put the lives of crew members at risk.
Taiwan is fortunate enough to have the right environmental conditions for productive aquafarms, something which can be exploited to boost our marine resources.
Finally, more personnel need to be trained so they can become decisionmakers who will hopefully improve the quality of decisions being made, as well as the efficiency of their implementation.
The oceans belong to all humankind, they are our shared resource. Developing and exploiting this resource in a reasonable and responsible manner and ensuring its continued existence which allows us to continue to use it in a sustainable way is a collective responsibility. Taiwan’s coastal and near-sea fish stocks have already been depleted to such an extent that sustainable development is no longer possible and our fishermen are struggling to eke out a basic living. The government needs to tackle this issue head-on. There is still time to turn things around.
Du Yu is chief executive officer of the Chen-Li Task Force for Agricultural Reform.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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