This year's marlin catch is only half of that last year, which may be attributed to changes in the course of the Kuroshio Current, fishermen in Taitung County said.
The Kuroshio Current, also known as the Japan Current, is a strong western boundary current in the northwestern Pacific Ocean which begins off the east coast and flows northeastward past Japan.
The route of the Kuroshio Current affects fish hauls because fishing points for various fish species following the Kuroshio Current can change.
PHOTO: YOU TAI-LANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Taiwanese fishermen are normally able to catch up to 100 marlin per day for sale at the county's Singang Harbor (新港) and fish market at this time of year, but this year, fewer than 50 marlin per day are available, local fishermen said.
The fishing vessel Mingteh (明德), for example, returned to port with only three marlin yesterday.
“But fortunately, we caught a big marlin weighing more than 100kg, “ said Chang Ming-teh (張明德), the captain of the boat.
“In the past, I could easily catch at least five or six fish during an outing, but this year, it has been difficult to catch even one at times,” said Chang, who put his income so far this year at NT$200,000 (US$6,040), far below the NT$500,000 he earned last year.
Marine biologist Chiang Wei-chuang said the warm Kuroshio Current from the tropics and the cold Oyashio Current from the sub-Arctic region, provide one of the best fishing grounds in the world for marlin and other species when they converge off Taiwan's eastern coast in winter.
But with a change of the movement of the Kuroshio, fishermen have had trouble searching for fishing grounds near where the two currents converge.
“It's been strange. We haven't been able to locate the Kuroshio Current when we've been out fishing this year,” Chang said.
The veteran fisherman believes that the Kuroshio Current has probably shifted away from Taiwan toward Green Island, leading to the disappearance of the traditional marlin fishing grounds.
Such a shift toward Green Island, 33km off Taitung, would occur three or four days a month in the past, Chang said, but this was the first time in his 30 years on the seas that he had been unable to locate the Kuroshio Current throughout the month of October.
Chang said that the Kuroshio Current, which normally flows northward before veering to the northeast as it passes northeastern Taiwan, is now heading on a northeast course even before approaching Taitung.
Marine biologist Chiang remains puzzled by the strange phenomenon, saying that because research in Taiwan on the Kuroshio Current was limited, the causes of its shifting course were unclear.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Fast food chain McDonald's is to raise prices by up to NT$5 on some products at its restaurants across Taiwan, starting on Wednesday next week, the company announced today. The prices of all extra value meals and sharing boxes are to increase by NT$5, while breakfast combos and creamy corn soup would go up by NT$3, the company said in a statement. The price of the main items of those meals, if ordered individually, would remain the same. Meanwhile, the price of a medium-sized lemon iced tea and hot cappuccino would rise by NT$3, extra dipping sauces for chicken nuggets would go up
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS