“In the coastal waters off Chenggong and Dawu, winds are northeasterly, Force 5 to 6, gusting Force 8, with moderate to high waves of two to three meters, and the skies are cloudy with local showers….” Listening to the fisheries weather report early in autumn, it is clear that the northeasterly monsoon season has started, and with it the black marlin has begun to arrive in Taiwan.

An important commercial fishery

Statistics from the Fisheries Agency show that since 1998, Taiwan’s annual billfish catch has exceeded 10,000 metric tons. Today, the main bases for billfish fishing are Su’ao in Yilan County, Donggang in Pingtung County, and Xingang in Taitung County. In 2021 the total catch of billfish reached 14,000 tons, worth over NT$1.7 billion, making this an important commercial fishery for Taiwan.

In days gone by, East Coast fishing vessels working out of Su’ao, Hualien, Xingang, and all the way down to Heng­chun used the ancient method of harpooning to catch billfish. However, as fishing technology has advanced and fishing boats have been brought up to date, the only harbor in Taiwan where harpooning is still practiced is Xingang in Taitung.

Chen Junming, secretary-general of the Xingang District Fishermen’s Association, notes that at the peak of harpoon fishing there were as many as 200 harpoon vessels operating out of Xingang, but today there are only 20 or so. The use of harpooning to hunt billfish is on the verge of extinction.

Billfish harpooning is a traditional fishing technique that contributes to ocean sustainability. (courtesy of Riyar Chiang)

A billfish harpoon.

Billfish landed for auction at Xingang Fishing Harbor in Chenggong, Taitung County.

An ancient fishing technique

In early September, fishermen begin to look for the first fish of the season in areas where the Kuroshio Current comes near the coast. Harpooners have to be able to hit billfish, the fastest-swimming fish in the world, with sunlight glinting off the water and their vessels bobbing up and down on the waves, in winds gusting to Force 7 and above. The only people who get to stand on the harpooning platform are those with at least ten years of experience.

Because hunting billfish by harpooning is one method of ensuring sustainable fisheries and also is a distinctive traditional technique, in 2019 the Taitung County Government applied to the Ministry of Culture for it to be registered as cultural heritage. Every November the county government and the Xingang fishermen’s association together host a billfish festival with a banquet for 1,000 people and a harpooning tournament, in hopes of preserving this aspect of traditional culture.

Dr. Wei-chuan Riyar Chiang, associate researcher with the Eastern Fishery Research Center of the Fisheries ­Research Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, was born in Chenggong Township, where Xingang Fishing Harbor is located. Based on his study of billfish harpooning, he has become an advocate of preserving this cultural heritage. He notes that marlins are the fastest-swimming fish on the planet, and it takes them only three to four days to swim from Taiwan to Okinawa, some 600 kilo­meters away. The sailfish in particular, he says, can reach speeds up to 100–130 km/h when hunting prey or fleeing from danger.

There are said to be many spells and incantations associated with harpooning billfish. In particular, when pulling a fish aboard, fishermen will intone the words: “May your grandfather and grandmother, your brothers and sisters, all come to us.” Chiang explains that harpoon fishing is an act of hunting and conquest, and fishermen pray for abundant future catches—this is not a phrase of well-wishing or apology to their prey.

Boats operating out of Donggang Fishing Harbor in Pingtung County mainly use longline fishing to catch billfish.

An auction of billfish at Donggang Fish Market.

Fresh seafood flavor

Lin Yubin, founder of the harborside restaurant Meet Marlin in Chenggong, explains why he chooses harpooned billfish for his menu. The main reason is that the fish arrive in harbor within six to eight hours of being caught and are still very fresh, and after being flash-frozen to preserve freshness, the meat is of optimal quality. Another reason is that his family were fishermen based in Chenggong from his great-grandfather’s generation, and Lin knows how hard fishermen work. The only way to enable them to carry on hunting billfish by harpoon is to pay them good prices for their catch.

What do we mean by “eating in season”? September to November is the peak catch season for black marlin, and Lin recommends the fattier meat of black marlin and sailfish as being well suited to making sashimi. Especially noteworthy is that black marlin sashimi has a slight fragrance of tea, is sweet at first and then aromatic, and remains appealing no matter how many slices you eat. Meanwhile the flesh of sailfish, whose peak season is from May to July, has the color of salmon, which is why its sashimi is known as “pumpkin meat.”

The meat in billfish steaks and belly meat is finely textured, and all you need to do to prepare it is rub on a little salt and dry-fry it, though it’s also delicious when fried and then braised with scallions; these are extremely authentic Taiwanese dishes. The dorsal fins of billfish can be cooked with a “three cups” recipe (with rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil) or roasted. The powerful tail fins are rich in collagen and can be cooked by the three cups method; locals call this dish “ocean pig’s feet.”

Swordfish, which can be caught year-round, has the fewest bones and the most delicate meat of any billfish. It is well suited to making braised swordfish steaks, deep-fried fillets, or fish soup with miso. Likewise, all parts of the striped marlin, which is mostly caught from April to June, can be eaten.

Blue marlin is well suited to making pure-meat marlin floss and shredded marlin. Lin Yubin says that aficionados enjoy eating dried ­billfish meat as it enables one to feel the texture of the fiber, and it makes a tasty accompaniment to rice or congee. Crispy billfish floss can be used for making fantuan (filled sticky rice balls) or can be wrapped in mantou steamed buns along with eggs.

A Czech student named Tobias Naas, visiting Chenggong during a cycling trip around Taiwan, heaps praise on braised billfish with white rice. He adds that he also ate stir-fried neritic squid and that it called to mind beautiful memories of a trip he made with his family to Croatia.

It is certainly true that good travel experiences often come with the fragrance of delicious cuisine. In Taiwan, visitors can try local specialties like thick billfish soup and deep-fried billfish paste.

You can also visit a Chenggong historic site—the former residence of Katsutarou Sugamiya, an official in Xingang during the era of Japanese rule. The Xingang Presbyterian Church, which manages the building, has preserved memories of the past there and offers free guided tours telling the story of a Japanese man who developed Xingang Fishing Harbor and who loved Taiwan. You might also check out the Tiao Gang Café next door, where you can enjoy a coffee while gazing out over the harbor and communing with the sea. In these ways you will come to better understand—and appreciate—maritime culture.

Black marlin, greater amberjack, skipjack tuna, and bluefin tuna respectively represent the four fishing methods of harpooning, pole and line, trolling, and longlining.

Dry-fried swordfish steak served with soy sauce is an authentically Taiwanese dish.

Deep-fried billfish paste with an egg filling is a must-eat snack at the Huaqiao Fish Market in Donggang, Pingtung County.

Blue marlin meat is well suited to making shredded marlin and marlin floss. You can really enjoy the fibrous texture of the fish when eating shredded marlin.

Billfish fishballs are a very popular snack in fishing harbors.