Xie Longyin, Chairman of the National Fisheries Association: Taiwan’s fishery business is in dire straits and calls on the government for continued assistance

"Taiwan's fishery has entered the intensive care unit!" Xie Longyin, chairman of the National Fisheries Association, described the difficulties faced by the fishery in recent years when attending the National Fishermen's Day celebrations in Tainan today (11th). He said that multiple impacts such as natural disasters, wars, rising oil prices and blocked exports have made Taiwan's fishery business environment increasingly difficult. Without the government's continued attention and assistance, "we may have to enter a hospice ward."

Xie Longyin said that last year, Typhoon Danai severely damaged the aquaculture fishery in southern Taiwan, and the government promptly provided various rescue and reconstruction subsidies for fishing damage, boat rafts, etc. He pointed out that U.S. tariffs, rising oil prices and blocked exports have also impacted the offshore fishery industry. Heavy rains in August this year caused damage to aquaculture fisheries. The successive blows have put heavy pressure on fishermen’s operations.

He also personally thanked President Lai Ching-te for his emphasis on fisheries, and mentioned that Taiwan's stock market exceeded 48,000 points during President Lai's term. "This is unprecedented," and he did not forget to cheer the president on.

Minister of Agriculture Chen Junji said that the government launched a fishery sustainable development plan this year. It will further integrate the accumulated fishery data and captain's experience in the past with information such as ocean currents and water temperature, and introduce AI technology analysis, hoping to help fishermen more effectively grasp the location of fish schools and improve operating efficiency.

In response to natural disasters in aquaculture fisheries, Chen Junji said that the government has also increased the subsidy amount to 25%. Taking milkfish as an example, the maximum subsidy per hectare used to be about 240,000 yuan, but now it has been increased to 500,000 yuan to help fishermen resume farming as soon as possible after the disaster. He pointed out that the Ministry of Agriculture invests approximately 10 billion yuan every year to support fishery development.

This year’s National Fishermen’s Day was held in Tainan, which also showcased the strong characteristics of Tainan’s fishery and faith. The co-organizers of the Tainan City Fisheries Association and the Tainan County Fisheries Association specially invited the deities of the three major temples of the Orthodox Luermen Temple, Kaitai Tianhou Temple, and Nankun Yudaitianfu to visit the venue to pray for the fishermen.

The event also features the "50th Anniversary Exhibition of Taiwan Fisheries Promotion" and the "Achievements Exhibition of Fisheries Association Home Economics Classes". From the fishery promotion process to the diverse achievements of home economics classes, the development trajectory of Taiwan's fishery industry from tradition to innovation is presented.