Agricultural organizations have joined the growing protest against a negative report on South Korean TV criticizing Taiwan’s tilapia aquaculture industry.
The protesters, led by Taiwan Agricultural Association chairwoman Chang Li-shan (張麗善), yesterday demanded that the station correct its report because it has seriously hurt farmers and resulted in huge export losses.
Chang said tilapia is one of the nation’s best agricultural products and has received international recognition.
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
Among the 24 fish farms certified by the Dutch-based Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) worldwide, 12 are tilapia farms in Taiwan, the association said.
Also, the nation’s products have been rated as a “good alternative” to the best choices in the tilapia category of the US-based Seafood Watch’s rankings, the association said.
In a news program on Oct. 25, South Korea’s Channel A said that Taiwan’s tilapia farms exist in polluted environments. The program also implied that there was an overuse of antibiotics in raising the fish.
South Korean importers have reportedly suspended the importation of Taiwanese tilapia following the broadcast, which has seriously affected sales.
Taiwan produces 70,000 tonnes of tilapia annually, 60 percent of which is exported to the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
South Korea is a major buyer, mostly in the form of frozen fillets.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week that it had contacted the TV station to ask for a correction of the news report.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS