Management of the Coastal and Offshore Fisheries (24 October 2012)

I. Importance of Fisheries Resources

Geographically Taiwan is situated in the sub-tropic, in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by seas and oceans, with diverse and complicated habitats, which include continental shelves, sandy banks, estuaries, reef rocks, coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, lagoons, deep oceans and thermal vents. In addition, the coastal waters of the Mainland China, the Kuroshio Current and its tributaries, and the warm water of the Taiwan Strait flow along its surrounding seas. These marine features enrich the waters of Taiwan with diverse fish species, and abundant marine living resources, bringing prosperity in its fisheries. Growing population and shortage of land for planting have caused food shortage in the world. Marine fisheries resources have become an important supply source of protein to mankind, and for many countries, they are also important industries in terms of economic, trade and recreation. In the past two decades, with advanced fishing technology, larger size and longer navigating capability of fishing vessels, every fishing ground in the world has been tapped, without any exception. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization indicated that 25% of the world’s fisheries resources have been over-exploited, showing that management of fisheries resources and practice of responsible fisheries are urgent and important work of every country in the world.

II. Responsible Fisheries

Overuse of fisheries resources will result reduction of the size of fish caught, damage of the marine food chain, and further lead to the collapse of fisheries resources and depletion of fish stocks. Thus, fisheries must be carried out in a responsible manner, that is, they should only be performed under the prerequisite of sustainable use of resources.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization adopted the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in 1995, providing fundamental principles for carrying out responsible fisheries. Methods for the practice of responsible fisheries include:

(1) Protection of habitats of fisheries resources, establishment of fisheries resources protection areas.

(2) Promoting the maintenance of the quality, diversity and availability of fisheries resources and ensuring food security.

(3) Recording and publicizing traceability of fishery products.

(4) Avoiding fisheries resources being overfished and in the state of overfishing.

(5) Collecting, to the greatest extent, best scientific evidence, and information for conducting fisheries scientific and technological research.

(6) Adopting precautionary approach in a holistic manner, such as, through fisheries related research, setting of maximum sustainable yield for fisheries resources.

(7) Developing selective and environmental friendly fishing gears and fishing methods.

(8) Protecting and restocking of aquatic resources.

(9) Provision of accurate fisheries related data.

(10) Promoting consensus on the practice of responsible fisheries.

It is envisaged that through the practice of responsible fisheries, with such concept of voluntary management, while attaching high importance and safeguarding marine ecologies and biodiversity from all sectors, including the government, fishermen’s organizations, fishermen and general public, effective management and sustainable development in fisheries can be ensured. Being a responsible country, Taiwan will take the work of promoting the practice of responsible fisheries in its coastal and offshore fisheries, and enhancing the management of fisheries resources, as important agenda in its fisheries policies.

III. Management of the Coastal and Offshore Fisheries and the Practice of Responsible Fisheries

Fisheries resources are renewable resources. Overuse of these resources will affect their reproduction. In order to prevent this to happen, the work of fisheries management is to focus on the reduction of fishing efforts, creation of excellent ecological environment, restocking of fisheries resources, and establishing the concept of conservation in the mind of the general public. For many years, the government has been actively promoting the following work in the practice of responsible fisheries:

(1) Reduction of fishing efforts: Measures taken include restrictions on the building of fishing vessels, implementation of vessels buyback programs, and encouragement in fishing layoffs.

(2) Promotion of restocking of fisheries resources: Releasing of fish fry, and deployment of artificial reefs.

(3) Promoting the work on the protection of habitats: Focusing on important ecological areas and species, fisheries resources conservation areas were demarcated. To-date, 28 localities of fisheries resources conservation areas have been established.

(4) Improvement on the work of conservation and management: To enhance the management of marine capture fisheries, the management measures imposed include, inter alia, closed fishing areas, closed fishing seasons, restrictions on fishing gears and fishing methods, restrictions on the size of catch, catch limit and catch reporting.

(5) Guidance on restructuring of traditional fisheries: Guidance has been given for restructuring of traditional fisheries to engage in recreational fisheries, such as angling, whale watching, ecosystem touring, etc.

(6) Enhancement of educational propaganda: Conducting workshops and promotional campaigns on fisheries resources conservation, providing the concept of fisheries resources conservation to the general public, fishermen, fishery managers, and school teachers.

(7) Improvement of fishing methods: Gradual improvement of fishing methods has been carried out, to reduce incidental catch of marine animals, including fish and shrimp separating devices on trawl nets, turtle extruding devices, tori lines to avoid incidental catch of seabirds in distant water longline fishery.

(8) Implementation of the system of fishing right fisheries: The surrounding waters of Taiwan have been demarcated into areas suitable for performing fishing and areas suitable aquaculture development, with issuance of licenses to directed, set-net or fishing right fisheries, and rules have been established for holders of the rights to conduct their fisheries in a responsible manner, in order to achieve the goal of sustainable operations and use of fisheries resources.

IV. Future Directions and Prospects of the Coastal and Offshore Fisheries

Fisheries resources are renewable resources, and they interrelate with marine food chain. Overuse of any species within the food chain will affect the recruitments of a year, and even threaten the balance of the ecosystem. Over the years, efforts of the government have been focusing on preservation of biodiversity and maintenance of balance in ecosystem. There is little doubt that over-exploitation and overuse of any resources will endanger the viability of their population. It is only through the enhancement of responsible coastal and offshore fisheries and precautionary approach in fisheries management can there be assurance of sustainable use of these resources.

As such, the Fisheries Agency will continue commissioning experts to carry out assessments of fisheries resources. When assessments review that any fisheries resources need management, the Fisheries Agency will take precautionary approach in management. Based on the characteristics of various directed coastal and offshore fisheries, measures such as closed fishing areas, closed fishing seasons, total catch limits, requirement of daily catch logbooks, port inspection, and boarding and inspection at sea will be taken. The focal fisheries for management in the current stage include trawl fishery, torch light net fishery, larval fishery, precious coral fishery, flying fish egg fishery, Sergestid shrimp (sakura shrimp; Sergia lucens) and red-tail green shrimp (Acetes intermedius) fishery.

V. Statistics on the Achievement in the Management of Coastal and Offshore Fisheries (linking to)