Readers’ Photos
The Fresh Taste of the Sea: Taiwan’s Fisheries Industry
/ tr. by Phil Newell
January 2023
In Search of Food (Yu Guohui)
Magong Fishing Harbor boasts the largest fish market in Penghu County. Even before sunrise, fishing boats laden with catch return to shore and the market hums with activity. Vessels busily offload their fish for auction, and seagulls come in search of food. In winter the catch is mainly made up of large migratory fish. Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, glinting silver in the sun, are always a main attraction at auction. Known to locals as “white gold,” they are an important source of income for fishing families. Summer in Penghu is the prime season not only for grouper, but also for neritic squid, cuttlefish, and prawn.
The Fresh Taste of the Sea: Taiwan’s Fisheries Industry
Carrying Sailfish (Zhang Liangyi)
A worker carries a sailfish longer than he is tall into the auction market at Donggang Fishing Harbor. Donggang is a major bastion of Taiwan’s distant-water fisheries industry and the yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, and sailfish landed there are all brought to the harbor’s fish market for auction.
A Cascade of Fish (Zhu Wenzeng)
Taiwan is a beautiful island, with over 200 fishing harbors. With the intersection of the Pacific Ocean and the warm Kuroshio Current, Taiwan boasts rich ocean ecosystems providing an abundance of seafood. Fenniaolin Fishing Harbor is near to Provincial Highway 9, at the border between Yilan County’s Su’ao and Nan’ao Townships. In this photo a haul of skipjack tuna, flying fish and puffer fish is unloaded onto the quayside, a sight that is sure to leave hardworking fishermen gratified.
Romantic Harbor Scene (Zhang Xiuhuang)
In the era of Japanese rule, Zhengbin Fishing Harbor in Keelung was Taiwan’s largest port, and a prosperous commercial harbor. The Keelung City Government has been actively working to develop the harbor into a tourist venue based on leisure activities. After the walls of the buildings along the waterfront were painted in various colors, Zhengbin gained the moniker “the Venice of Taiwan,” and has become a popular spot for visitors to check in. The tranquil, romantic atmosphere after dark is enchanting.
Fuji Fishing Harbor (Pan Tongxi)
Fuji Fishing Harbor, located on the North Coast Highway near Fugui Cape, combines a traditional fishing port with a tourist restaurant area. Boats returning to port daily sell their catch directly to buyers. Fuji is especially well known for its crabs, and in the autumn crab season, when crabs have the most meat and the best flavor, flower crabs are landed in large numbers and prices are low. At the many restaurants beside the harbor you can take seafood bought on the quay and have it cooked and served immediately, to enjoy the delicious taste of seafood at its freshest.
A Beautiful Morning at the Fish Market (Yang Zonghan)
The flavors of the dazzling array of seafoods on offer in supermarkets depend on the freshness of the catch and how quickly it is purchased. The skipjack tuna and narrow-barred Spanish mackerel landed in abundance at Fenniaolin Fishing Harbor at Dong’ao in Yilan’s Su’ao Township are rich in fat and the texture is fine and tender, making them very suitable for sashimi. Early each morning there are always demanding foodies and restaurateurs in port eagerly awaiting the arrival of fresh catch.
Busy with Fish (Huang Youzhu)
Kouhu Township in Yunlin County is a major producer of mullet roe from farmed fish. Winter is the season for mullet, and although it is arduous work to harvest the roes from the fish, the prized delicacy brings in considerable income to the community.
Drying Squid in the Sun (Huang Youzhu)
Taizi Village in Kouhu Township, Yunlin County, has two claims to fame: one is sun-dried mullet roe, and the other is sun-dried squid. The squid are laid out in neat rows and are transformed by the natural forces of sunshine and wind into dried squid with a unique flavor. This food is one the area’s special local products.
Returning with a Full Boat (Qiu Junhao)
Taiwan is a major producer of mahi-mahi (dolphinfish), ranking fourth in the world by catch. By four or five in the afternoon many people gather to await the return of the fishing boats to port. Mahi-mahi is an important product in winter, and at the quayside in fishing harbors there are large cranes to offload the catch that the fully loaded vessels bring back.
Abundant Harvest (Xu Jia’en)
Aquaculture in Taiwan includes saltwater, freshwater, and shallow-sea fish farming, depending on the local environment. The seafoods produced in bulk are East Asia fourfinger threadfin, milkfish, tilapia, grouper, eels, clams, and oysters. An old saying goes “first, fourfinger threadfish; second, silver pomfret; third, miiuy croaker; fourth, red seabream,” indicating that the East Asia fourfinger threadfin was considered the most flavorful fish.
