Taiwan’s grouper farming has a leading position in the world, both in species breeding and propagating technology. Moreover, Taiwan’s geographical situation and suitable climatic conditions have given its aquaculture the advantage of wintering, thus possessing high competitiveness in the provision of diverse specification of products. With close vicinity to the consumer markets of Hong Kong and Mainland China, there will be plenty of rooms for market expansion, if the time for transporting high quality live fish is shortened.

Brief Description on the Policy Development of Live Fish Carriers:

1. Directions for Governing Live Fish Carriers were announced on 19 December 2007. With relaxation of the concerned legislations, on 30 May 2008, the first live fish carrier was approved, enabling transporting live fish to Hong Kong. As of April 2015, under this guidance, 16 live fish carriers were approved.
2. There was a major breakthrough on legislative constraints on cross-strait affairs. On 19 March 2000, the “Regulations Governing Taiwan’s Fishing Vessels Proceeding to the Mainland China” was announced opening progressively 10 domestic fishing ports for fishing vessels to proceed to 23 Mainland Chinese ports, covering markets of important cities along the coast of Mainland China. As of April 2015, under this guidance, 16 live fish carriers were approved.
3. In 2013 and 2014, exports of groupers to the Mainland China reached 14 thousand tons in two consecutive years, with the values of NT$3.64 billion and 4.7 billion, respectively.

Previously, fishing vessels proceeding to the Mainland China were only permitted to carry the fish caught by the vessels themselves. With the more open legislation permitting the use of carrier vessels, live fish such as farmed groupers, can be transported to Hong Kong and the Mainland China, thus saving time and cost, and thus increasing the competitiveness of Taiwan’s aquaculture.