Dolphin fish
In recent years, Taiwan’s inshore fisheries have had to face the issue of falling catches. But thanks to the Kuroshio Current, flowing through the waters off Taiwan’s east coast, there are still a great number of migratory fish passing by. The best example is the dolphin fish, which has become a major product of Taiwan’s fishing industry in recent years.
Another episode, entitled “Promised Fish,” depicts Taitung fisherman Chen Yiwei’s story of courage and perseverance catching dolphin fish.
Following the ocean currents, dolphin fish visit Taiwan’s eastern seaboard twice a year—in spring and autumn. In only three days using longlines, a 32-ton inshore fishing boat can harvest a good haul of dolphin fish of nearly two meters’ length and around ten kilograms per fish.
“Speed is the key,” says Chen Yiwei, skipper of fishing boat Xinchangfa. Chen points out that the longlines stream for over 30 nautical miles and carry around 2000 hooks, so just baiting the hooks is an enormous task.
Caught dolphin fish are thrown immediately into ice buckets to cool and later transferred to a freezer to keep them fresh. As soon as the boat docks, the fish are unloaded and auctioned in the market, then sent to northern Taiwan for processing. After packaging, most are exported to Europe and the US. Not a moment is wasted. Because of Taiwan’s advantageous geographical position plus good fishing and preservation techniques, dolphin fish have created a boom for Taiwan’s fisheries in recent years. But this also means that in order to maintain a sustainable industry, avoiding overfishing the dolphin fish has become a major issue.
Dr. Chiang Wei-chuan, a research fellow at the Fisheries Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture, spent some time at sea on board the Xinchangfa to conduct research into the dolphin fish. He explains that the dolphin fish is a very important species. They are a good source of protein, and as mid-level predators they tend to contain lower concentrations of heavy metals. Hopefully, through an understanding of their migratory habits, dolphin fish can be protected and at the same time properly managed as a sustainable food resource.
Taiwan’s delicious seafood tastes all the sweeter when you know that it’s the product of a sustainable marine ecosystem.