As a result of increased costs, half of the nation’s long-distance fishing boats are now inactive and many fishermen have said that with no peak in oil prices in sight, they were preparing for the worst-case scenario, which would be the cessation of operations altogether.
Fuel contributes to more than half of a fishing boat’s operational cost, Taiwan Tuna Association chairman Huang Chao-ching (黃昭欽) said, adding that a 600 tonne boat consumes more than NT$73,000 in gasoline per day — more than payments on ship, bait and employee compensation combined.
At such rates, it is cheaper for owners to leave their ships in port than pay the NT$2 million-plus (US$66,000) they would spend on fuel for each trip, which typically runs for 20 to 30 days, Huang said.
In recent days, the nation’s major seaports have been crammed with long-journey fishing boats returned from the Pacific Ocean. Estimates made by Long-shun Fishing Company president Wang Shun-long (王順隆) showed that half of the nation’s long-distance fleet was now idle.
Rising oil prices and increasingly strict international fishing restrictions have meant that the nation’s fishing industry faces a serious risk of total fadeout, Wang said.
Pingtung County’s Liouciou Township (琉球) fishing association chief Tsai Pao-shing (蔡寶興) said that diesel prices had risen from NT$3,552 to NT$4,247 per 200 liters, which added more than NT$200,000 to every trip.
Penghu County had as many as 3,600 fishing ships in its prime, but now it has less than 2,200 ships and many have been put up for sale. Ilan County’s Nanfangao (南方澳) port, has experienced a similar decline, from 1,400 ships to less than 1,000.
Although the government introduced a fishing suspension subsidy six years ago, few fishermen had applied for the grant until about two years ago. Ships that sail for more than 90 days and dock for more than 120 days qualify for the subsidy.
Despite the annual subsidy of NT$13,000 to NT$100,000 per ship, many have opted to suspend their activities.
The agency said it expected 8,000 ships to stay in port this year.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS