| TAIWANS FISHING INDUSTRY: A LESSON
FOR ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
With 22.5 million people living on a 36,000 square
kilometers island, Taiwan is ranked as the 136th largest
sovereign state in terms of land area and the 50th
largest populated nation in the world.
Over the last half century Taiwan has become well
known for its resounding economy and vigorous democracy,
credits due mainly to the nation's industrious and
creative people. The characteristic features of its
oceanic culture and outbound people have forged Taiwan
as one of the six leading nations in the world fishing
industry.
On the other hand, in compliance with the International
Plan of Action for the Management of Fish Capacity
adopted in 1999 by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization,
the Taiwan government has implemented a series of
measures such as a fishing boat reduction program
to ensure the sustainable utilization of marine resources.
The worldwide decline of ocean fishery stocks has
provided impetus for rapid growth in fish farming,
or aquaculture. Fishery products sold from farming
techniques currently account for over one-quarter
of human consumption.
It is estimated that more than half of the world's
fish consumption will come from aquaculture in 2030.
Taiwan is a world leader in aquaculture. The government
has set aside areas suitable for aquaculture development,
promoted automation, encouraged the use of biotechnology
and improved the sales network.
Aquaculture productoin has not only filled the gap
of local consumption of captured fish, but has also
been exported to foreign countries, especially to
Japan, since the 1980s. Although duly outputs of Aquaculture
fulfilled the huge demand for seafood in Taiwans
restaurants, aquaculture has faced continuous challenges
in terms of environmental protection and diseases.
In recent years, Taiwan has shifted its focus to
the development of net cage aquaculture with a satisfactory
result. With a view to utilize the warm and steady
current, more and more net cages have been established
on the Taiwan Strait for cultivating more than 50
species of finfish and shellfish.
Described as the ocean's euphemistic "range",
thousands of different types and sizes of net cages
have been set up off the Taiwan shore. Some of those
cages are designed with entrances against current
flows, which are intended to catch small fish, incidentally
trap larger animals, such as whale sharks. The Georgia
Aquarium in Atlanta retrieved some of those captured
whale sharks to house in its world largest 850 million
gallon tank before Taiwan government imposed a ban
on their capture.
Seafood is the main source of protein for human beings.
Annual consumption of fishing produce in the Federation
of St. Kitts and Nevis reached almost 2 million pounds
in 2007. Less than half of fish captured come from
the small-scale coastal fishing industry operated
by around 100 fishermen. A 40-foot fishing boat, donated
by Taiwanese government in the later half of 2007,
is under construction in the Indigo Yachts. It is
said that the new boat, to be launched in a couple
of months, will serve as training for those fishermen
who will march forward to deep-sea commercial fishing.
Bearing in mind the successful shrimp farm operation
in Conaree area in the 1980s, restoring or exploring
aquaculture seems to be an option for this Federation.
Despite the significant precipitation in the Federation
of St. Kitts and Nevis , the sandy topsoil absorbs
abundant rainfall underground immediately. So, it
is rather difficult to develop land aquaculture without
running natural water. Developing net cage aquaculture
in the calm and peaceful Caribbean Sea is likely the
best choice. Again, food and technology meet as major
components of this green and economical industry.
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