A Taste for Eel

Building a Future for Taiwan’s Eel Industry

Lynn Su　/　photos Lin Min-hsuan

September 2026

中文

There are 19 recognized species and subspecies of eels of the genus Anguilla in the world. Their unusual habits and mysterious life cycles have long fascinated people. For example, like all eels of this genus, Japanese eels—which have long dominated the East Asian eel aquaculture industry—are catadromous: They hatch in sea waters west of the Mariana Trench, the deepest ocean trench on Earth, then drift with the currents some 3,000 kilometers to Taiwan, as well as to other locations. From river mouths, they usually swim upstream and eventually mature in freshwater rivers.

Because Taiwan is among the first places Japanese eels reach, its favorable location once helped it earn a reputation as the “Eel Kingdom.” That glory has faded, and the urgent task now is to find a path toward sustainable development built on the cultural and industrial foundations accumulated over the years.

In 2026, eel suddenly became much more plentiful on the Taiwan market. Seizing the opportunity created by the domestic bumper crop, the Fisheries Agency promoted eel consumption by creating an “eel dining map” and working with MOS Burger, Sushi Express, and Taiwan Railway Bento to add eel dishes to their menus. Meanwhile, seeking better returns, many eel farmers launched their own brands and began selling directly to consumers, creating a burst of competition. Not only have consumers been feasting on eel, the industry sees this as a pivotal moment for expanding the domestic market.

The industry’s deep roots

High production costs mean that Taiwanese consumers generally regard eel as an expensive food, something eaten mainly on special occasions or holidays. Producers have also historically focused on exports, leaving considerable room for the domestic market to grow. Yet Taiwan’s eel industry, shaped by the island’s proximity to Japan, has roots stretching back more than half a century.

Professor Han Yu-san of National Taiwan University’s Institute of Fisheries Science recounts how the industry developed. As Japan’s economy gradually recovered after World War II, domestic eel supplies could not keep up with demand, spilling demand into overseas markets. In the 1960s, Japanese specialists came to Taiwan to teach eel-farming techniques for an export industry serving Japan, laying the groundwork for a golden age from the 1970s through the 1990s. At the time, six out of every ten eels sold in Japan came from Taiwan.

In the 1960s, Japanese specialists came to Taiwan to teach eel farming, helping usher in the golden age of Taiwan’s eel industry and earning the island the reputation of being the “Eel Kingdom.” (MOFA file photo)

That advantage disappeared as China took Taiwan’s place. Taiwan still has a complete supply chain and mature technology, but it cannot match the price advantage created by China’s scale and lower labor costs.

According to Han, most Taiwanese producers use high-temperature extruded “floating pellets” to feed their eels. Although these can be fed directly to the eels and save labor, the high-temperature treatment of the production process reduces their nutritional value. Chinese producers, on the other hand, drawing on technologies originally introduced from Taiwan and subsequently upgraded, generally use “powdered feed.” Though this must be mixed into a paste by hand before being deployed, disperses easily in water, and can degrade water quality, its higher nutritional value produces better-quality eels.

With catches of wild eel fry (aka glass eel) fluctuating, Chinese producers balance their supply by raising what the industry calls “alternative eel species,” such as American and European eels, alongside the Japanese eel—known locally as white eel—that Japanese consumers prefer. After 1994, China’s market share steadily surpassed Taiwan’s, and Taiwan now accounts for only 2–5% of the Japanese market.

Eating eel on Doyō no Ushi no Hi

Eels are found around the world, but an elaborate culinary culture developed around them only in East Asia, where consumption is highest. In Japan in particular, eel has long been prized as a tonic midsummer health food. According to a popular account, the Edo-period scholar of Dutch learning Hiraga Gennai devised an advertising slogan for a struggling eel restaurant, claiming that eating eel on Doyō no Ushi no Hi (Midsummer Day of the Ox) would restore one’s energy. The idea was the foundation of a custom that continues today.

Eel expert Han Yu-san, a professor at National Taiwan University’s Institute of Fisheries Science, discusses the history of Taiwan’s eel industry.

During Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868), eel gradually evolved from inexpensive street food into a symbol of healthy nourishment, giving rise to the midsummer custom of eating eel as a tonic food on Doyō no Ushi no Hi, the Midsummer Day of the Ox.

Bumper catches, mounting pressure

Because of eels’ unusual life cycle, the eel fry used in aquaculture stocking can still only be obtained from wild catches. The four major eel-consuming markets in East Asia—Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan—have therefore agreed on annual aquaculture stocking limits for Japanese eel fry: 21.7 metric tons for Japan, 36 for China, 11.1 for South Korea, and 10 for Taiwan, for a total of 78.8 metric tons.

As a rule of thumb, one metric ton of eel fry can yield 1,000 metric tons of adult eels. Taiwan’s domestic market consumes roughly 3,000–4,000 metric tons a year. Han Yu-san says the current stocking cap far exceeds domestic demand: A reasonable level would be around five metric tons, and going much higher risks throwing supply and demand out of balance.

Over the past two years, bumper eel fry catches across East Asia have sent prices plunging. At one point, a single eel fry sold for just NT$5, the lowest price in 30 years. Eel farmers, clinging to the old practice of stocking every available eel fry, put the entire supply into their ponds. Stocking in Taiwan reached nine metric tons in 2025 (enough to yield about 9,000 metric tons of adult eels) and six metric tons in 2026 (equivalent to about 6,000 metric tons of adult eels). The result has been immense pressure on the market to absorb the surplus.

Eels have a remarkable life cycle. Japanese eels, for example, are catadromous fish: They hatch in sea waters west of the Mariana Trench, the deepest ocean trench on Earth, then drift with the currents some 3,000 kilometers to Taiwan. From river mouths, they usually swim upstream and eventually mature in freshwater rivers. (MOFA file photo)

A turning point for the industry

Yet crisis can also bring opportunity. Han says that given its current difficulties, Taiwan’s eel industry must change its old way of thinking and learn from the Japanese and South Korean models. “We should put domestic sales first and exports second, and focus on the local market before anything else,” he says.

Taiwan’s domestic eel market does indeed have considerable potential. Han notes that although many eels live in freshwater, their nutritional value is comparable to that of marine fish. They are rich in EPA, DHA, minerals, protein, and vitamins A, D, and E, making them, he says, a nutritious food for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

Although many eels live in freshwater, their nutritional value is comparable to that of marine fish, making them a nutritious food for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

Han points out that Taiwan has a remarkably rich eel-eating culture. Diners can find authentic Japanese kabayaki, grilled eel liver, and eel nigiri; charcoal-grilled shiroyaki at Korean barbecue restaurants; Chinese-style dried eel and eel marinated in red rice lees; and Taiwanese eel sticky rice and herbal eel soup. Taiwan also brings an inventive spirit and openness to new influences: eel zongzi (rice dumplings mainly wrapped in bamboo leaves) and eel rice burgers have appeared in recent years, energizing the market. Only by deepening and setting roots for this food culture can the industry achieve long-term sustainability.

Taiwan’s rich culinary traditions encompass Taiwanese, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean eel dishes, while leaving room for innovation and new influences. (photo at left by Kent Chuang; center and right photos courtesy of Han Yu-san)