From bad to worse
"The environmental changes have also made the disease situation worse," says Tom Hsiao. He explains that because the fish-rearing environment has changed, it has led to weaker fish that are naturally more susceptible to illness, and the high-density environment leads to more rapid transmission of viruses. Consequently, academics have recently been suggesting that the fish be brought indoors, where controlling conditions such as temperature, water quality, and pH is easier.
Hsiao has spent a year at experimentation, bringing one-to-four-month fry inside. By attaining greater control over water quality and preventing the entry of parasites and viruses, the rate of survival for fingerlings has risen to 80%. (Currently, the survival rate for 6-cm fingerlings outside is 30-40%.) Unfortunately, fish farmers themselves have shown little interest in these new approaches. Instead, interest has come from outside the industry.
"With environmental degradation and the havoc wreaked by viruses, as well as the problem of insufficient capital," say many farmers, "how can we achieve the government's goal of doubling the value of grouper production?" Since Morakot, grouper producers have repeatedly complained about the government's loan policies.
Lee Fuchen explains that after Mo-ra--kot, grouper growers in Pingtung -County, despite accounting for two-thirds of ROC grouper production, received only NT$700 million of the NT$2 billion in low-interest loans issued to the aquaculture industry. Many former grouper farmers were turned down as a result of various restrictions (such as requirements about aquaculture registration certificates, proof of water rights, and assessed property values). Consequently, they switched to raising other kinds of fish.
In particular, loans based on acreage are unfair to those who rear immature groupers. Pan Jian-zhang, who has a farm for 6-cm fingerlings in Jia-dong, explains that his farm is altogether only 10,800 square feet, so he can only mortgage it for NT$500,000. But this provides scant help for an operation that requires frequent outlays of millions of NT dollars. "If you don't have any fish fry, how do you expect to multiply your stocks?" He says that grouper farmers will only be able to pass through these hard times if the government provides special assistance for hatcheries.
Sustainable exports
Apart from present-day production problems, there are also concerns about the very viability of the grouper industry in the years to come.
Although many have held high hopes for the mainland market since the signing of the ECFA, quite a few industry insiders are worried about blindly putting all their eggs in one basket. "The mainland will end up dictating the price!" says Li Jiongyi, a member of a new breed of fish farmers and shippers in Jia-dong. Despite Bei-jing's huge push to expand tourism by hosting the Olympics, the Asian Games and other events, its consumption of grouper did not rise as much as anticipated. Given that fact, along with the mainland's rampant inflation, will consumer demand there really be that robust? If Taiwanese fish farmers swarm to raise supply but demand doesn't rise as much as expected, the price will collapse and losses will be unimaginable.
Li explains that unlike mainland consumers, who prefer meat, the Japanese love fish, particularly fresh fish. Thus Japan is a market well worth developing. The government ought to develop a comprehensive production and marketing plan, providing information about international competitors, and assistance in breaking into new markets, so as to avoid the risks of over-reliance on one export market. And even more importantly, the government should encourage producers not to focus on just a few star species. They should gradually start cultivating other kinds of fish to increase the overall competitiveness of aquacultural exports.
In an era of growing emphasis on healthy eating, when more and more consumers are switching away from red meat despite the depletion of natural stocks of fish, aquaculture offers the advantages of high quality and low pollution. With the outstanding level of aquacultural skills and technology in Taiwan, the potential for the industry here is great. Will various groups be able to link hands to overcome the obstacles left in Morakot's wake and revitalize the grouper industry in Taiwan, which is still known as "the grouper kingdom"? It's a matter that should be of concern to more of Taiwan's citizens.
Worldwide aquacultural production of groupers
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
China |
23,453 |
28,876 |
34,039 |
41,994 |
42,854 |
45,213 |
Taiwan |
11,564 |
12,512 |
13,582 |
9,500 |
17,234 |
17,042 |
Indonesia |
8,665 |
6,552 |
6,883 |
3,132 |
6,370 |
4,268 |
Malaysia |
1,977 |
2,284 |
2,572 |
4,256 |
4,208 |
4,400 |
Thailand |
2,338 |
3,574 |
2,582 |
3,036 |
1,028 |
918 |
Hong Kong |
832 |
789 |
514 |
525 |
1,028 |
918 |
Total |
49,471 |
55,008 |
60,837 |
63,048 |
75,406 |
75,727 |
unit: metric ton source: FAO