The Fishery Agency’s year-end fete warmed the hearts of foreign fishing crews

To show gratitude to foreign crews for their contribution to Taiwan’s fishing sector, and to celebrate year-end festivals — the Christmas and the winter solstice — the Fishing Agency hosted a party on December 21 in collaboration with the Fishermen’s Association at Suao, a major fishing port in northeast Taiwan.

A community women’s troupe ushered in the festive spirit with joyful music and dance. Officiating at the event, agriculture minister Chen Chi-Chung elaborated foreign crews’ essential roles: performing arduous tasks onboard Taiwanese fishing vessels. “Almost like family members” and therefore well deserved the hospitality extended by residents of this fishing town, said Chen. More than 400 foreign fishermen were on scene to savor warm friendship and holiday spirits on this cold rainy day. Led by Chang Chih-Sheng, the head of the Fishery Agency, Taiwanese participants rolled up their sleeves to serve hot food to the “indispensible foreign partners”. There was steamy sticky-rice dumpling, a traditional Taiwanese snack to observe the winter solstice, as well as other delicacies to warm the stomach. A number of Southeast Asian dishes, providing some home country ambience, were also available to soothe their homesickness in this season of gathering woefully disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

When the party was in full swing, Minister Chen gladly announced a timely measure that further warmed the heart, and body, of foreign crews.

The bathing facility near the harbor, specifically built for crews without a residence on land, would no longer charge a fee for hot water. Previously users had to insert a debit card. Upon hearing the news, all foreigners at the event were visibly delighted at the prospect of hot showers in the upcoming winter. The cherished service goes beyond Suao township. A total of 45 stalls would supply hot water free of charge at seven other fishing ports around Taiwan -- Keelung Badozi, New Taipei Wanli, New Taipei Shenao, Kaohsiung Qianzhen, Pingtung Donggang, Penghu Magong, Taitung Xingang – where foreign fishing crews set up their home away from home while sleeping onboard their respective vessel.

In addition to officials in charge of fishery affairs, representatives from local county government and Taiwan’s legislature also graced this occasion to personally conveyed their appreciation to foreign fishing crews.

In recognition of other unmet needs, the Fishery Agency is poised to enhance amenities at fishing ports where foreign crews tend to sleep on moored vessels.


Contact Point: Wang Cheng-fan, deputy director-general
E-mail: chengfan@ms1.fa.gov.tw