An online video showing a man catching a giant trevally fish in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) has sparked debate between divers and recreational fishermen.
A video posted on YouTube by a user identified as Jason Liu on Saturday shows a recreational fisherman pulling a giant trevally out of the water in Houbihu (後壁湖) harbor, where rod fishing is prohibited, while the people around him comment on the strength of the fish.
Diver and conservationist Wu Sung-hung (吳松鴻) yesterday said the people shown in the video have damaged Hengchun’s marine ecology, which has attracted 10,000 divers, generated NT$25 million (US$824,103) in business revenue and created 150 diving coach jobs over the past two years.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
The Kenting National Park Office should do more to protect the waters off Hengchun and local divers should be vigilant, Wu said.
A recreational fisherman, known as A-ming (阿明), said recreational fishing has been unfairly subjected to public judgement as a result of the incident, adding that although it is forbidden to fish in the harbor, the authorities failed to make the prohibition clear and have been reluctant to fine offenders.
Giant trevallies are not endangered and have no significant value beyond their physical strength that makes them challenging to catch with a fishing rod, A-ming said, adding that the fish was easy to catch, because it was used to being fed by humans.
Pingtung’s Director of Marine and Fisheries Management Wu Hsien-chun (吳憲昌) said rod fishing is forbidden in the Houbihu area according to Article 18 of the Fishing Port Act (漁港法) and offenders may face a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.
While exceptions can be made by the local government proclaiming a fishing zone, no such zones have been declared for Houbihu, he said, adding that the people shown in the video will be identified and punished.
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