Draft amendment to the plan for selling largehead hairtail to China, environmental groups join the investigation team, management measures to be proposed by year-end
Recently, the Council of Agriculture's announcement of the "Draft for Largehead Hairtail Carrier Vessels Selling to China" sparked controversy, with more than five thousand people signing a petition in just three days demanding that implementation be postponed. Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung personally took the front line, holding symposiums for three consecutive weeks to gather opinions from civic groups and experts widely. On the 23rd, the latest revised draft version was proposed, the "Measures for the Guidance of Coastal and Offshore Largehead Hairtail Production and Marketing and Fishery Vessel Carrier Operations." Fishermen's associations willing to operate largehead hairtail carrier vessels must submit a "business plan" and a "management plan." Regardless of scale, all must declare loading and unloading volumes and transaction data for each voyage, so that catch statistics can be tracked.
The Fisheries Agency will bring together industry, government, and academia to form the "Largehead Hairtail Scientific Investigation Advisory Group" and the "Largehead Hairtail Production and Marketing Advisory Group" to conduct scientific and resource surveys, assess the total volume or proportion of domestic and export sales of largehead hairtail, and establish reasonable management measures. The civic groups present agreed that, under the premise of lacking clear information and considering fishermen's needs, the draft should first be allowed to proceed, and then the two advisory groups would formulate management details before the end of the year to ensure sustainable resources.
Lee Chi-ting, convener of the National Habitat Committee of the Society of Wilderness, admitted that the public's enthusiastic response to the largehead hairtail issue exceeded expectations, showing that people are very aware of the phenomenon of overfishing in coastal and offshore waters. This revision of fisheries policy through civic participation is deeply significant as an indicator and sets a milestone in our country's fisheries management history.
Fishing vessels at all levels carrying largehead hairtail must all be brought under management and declare transaction volumes
To coordinate the various controversies arising from opening up largehead hairtail carrier vessels, the Council of Agriculture held three consecutive symposiums. The discussion content expanded from the originally focused question of "whether to open up largehead hairtail carrier vessels" to guidance on production and marketing and scientific investigation of largehead hairtail. The Fisheries Agency emphasized that it will impose stricter requirements on the declaration of unloading for coastal and offshore fish species.
Wang Cheng-fang, deputy director-general of the Fisheries Agency, stated that coastal and offshore fishing vessels are required by regulations to declare unloading, but small fishing vessels under 10 tons are not subject to this restriction. In largehead hairtail fishing grounds, trawling is common along the southwestern coast, while offshore hook fishing predominates in the northeast, and the catch of many small single-hook fishing vessels is difficult to count. Taking this opportunity, it is stipulated that largehead hairtail fishing vessels participating in direct shipping, regardless of scale, "must all declare the loading and unloading volume and transaction data for each export voyage." This is like bringing small fishing vessels and recreational fishing vessels under management together, which helps catch statistics and scientific research.
In the latest revised content of the "Draft Measures for the Guidance of Coastal and Offshore Largehead Hairtail Production and Marketing and Fishery Vessel Carrier Operations," all district fishermen's associations nationwide may apply to propose largehead hairtail carrier vessels as long as they are willing, and it is not limited to the northeastern waters. Relevant fishermen's associations in the southwest and Penghu may also apply if willing (fishery operators must be limited to fishermen's associations; ordinary citizens may not operate them).
Subsequently, a "Largehead Hairtail Joint Marketing Business Plan" (including total domestic and export sales volume or proportion, and sales flow direction) and a "Carrier Operations Management Plan" (including fleet list, carrier vessel list, loading/unloading and shift operations description, loading/unloading ports, and voyage planning) must be submitted. The management measures also exclude the previous provision oriented toward determining the list of fishermen's associations by lottery; instead, the central government will uniformly evaluate and review them. The number of opened fishermen's associations and fishing vessels will temporarily have no upper limit, and the license term will be limited to two years.
Establish largehead hairtail scientific investigation and production-marketing advisory groups, propose management recommendations by year-end
In addition, the Fisheries Agency will soon convene industry, government, academia, and civic groups to form the "Largehead Hairtail Scientific Investigation Advisory Group" and the "Largehead Hairtail Production and Marketing Advisory Group." The former will conduct scientific investigation of largehead hairtail, including stock research and resource assessment, and draft related conservation measures; the latter will assess the total volume or proportion of domestic and export sales under the management system, establish a suitable transaction platform for catches, and promote declaration of largehead hairtail unloading.
Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung stated that the final revisions to the draft content were completed at the three consultation meetings. Subsequently, it will be reported to the Executive Yuan and the management measures will be officially announced. The two advisory groups will also, before the end of the year, propose relevant management recommendations based on the current unloading declaration data and resource assessment conditions. "They will provide measures and methods for resource sustainability, so that the management measures can be implemented effectively."
Carrier vessels may only carry largehead hairtail; fishermen's associations must assess operating benefits themselves
Although carrier vessels can sail year-round, the peak operating period for largehead hairtail fishing vessels is usually only half a year. Chen Chun-sheng, director-general of the Su'ao Fishermen's Association, proposed that direct-shipping vessels should be allowed to go to sea fishing when not engaged in largehead hairtail carrying, stressing that "the loss from operating only half a year without meeting benefits cannot be imposed on fishermen." In response, Wang Cheng-fang replied that the management measures explicitly stipulate "may only carry largehead hairtail" and may not be used for other purposes. Fishermen's associations need to consider the operating benefit issues during the off-peak period before assessing whether to apply.
Environmental groups: Agree to let it proceed first; implementation is most important
Xu Cheng-yu, founder of the Responsible Fisheries Indicators who attended the meeting, stated that because the Fisheries Agency promised to impose stricter requirements on implementing offshore and coastal unloading declarations, and also plans to propose specific management measures before the end of the year, meeting members generally reached a consensus to "open it first and then study management details." "If not strictly controlled, catches from the current mini three links are still being exported continuously. It is just that in reality (the officials) still cannot propose management measures, so they had no choice but to resolve to give the advisory groups a few more months to prepare and propose measures before the end of the year. This can be considered the result of everyone's negotiation on site."
He believes this is a good opportunity to use the largehead hairtail policy to review the country's overall catch statistics. "Although the country began promoting unloading declarations in 2015, the effect has actually been limited. Otherwise, there would not be a situation where the domestic market (transaction volume) for (largehead hairtail) is only three to four thousand tons, but export volume is as high as more than thirteen thousand tons."
Lee Chi-ting, convener of the National Habitat Committee of the Society of Wilderness, stated, "Our position of concern has not changed." It is just that the country currently does not yet have resource survey data on largehead hairtail, and lacks understanding of largehead hairtail spawning grounds and spawning periods. At present, it is still impossible to discuss how to establish no-fishing zones, no-fishing periods, or advise fishermen to avoid fishing during which spawning season, as well as catch limits. After considering the real difficulties and fishermen's needs, they had no choice but to make concessions first, but environmental groups will still continue to supervise the government and insist that production and marketing management recommendations and scientific investigation data for largehead hairtail be proposed before the end of the year.
Chen Jui-pin, secretary-general of the Environmental Information Center, who also participated in the largehead hairtail meeting, stated that Taiwan's coastal and offshore unloading declarations have consistently been insufficiently accurate. "Largehead hairtail is already overfished, and now carrier vessels may damage (resources) even more. What we care about is the depletion of fishery resources and how to balance domestic and export sales."
Fishermen sense that largehead hairtail has shrunk; origin prices rise year after year
In response to the discussion sparked in China by the largehead hairtail craze, it also evoked Taiwanese people's past memories of this "coin cuisine." In the past, largehead hairtail was a common home-cooked dish on dining tables. However, in recent years, domestic largehead hairtail has become rare and expensive. Not only has the public felt this, but fishermen who make their living from the sea generally also perceive that "large largehead hairtail seem to have decreased." Penghu Captain Hong described that in the past there were many largehead hairtail and they were all large. They began to decrease about a dozen years ago. Previously, half of the largehead hairtail caught were more than three fingers wide; now only about twenty percent are three fingers wide.
Secretary You of the Zuoying District Fishermen's Association in Kaohsiung City, located along the southwestern coast, stated that largehead hairtail can be caught year-round, but winter is the peak production season, when catches are more abundant. In recent years, the catch volume has indeed shown a declining trend, and the thickness and width of the fish have also shrunk. "The catch volume and size of largehead hairtail are very different now."
Captain Chang Feng-yi, who operates the Jiyang offshore fishing boat in the north and has thirty years of fishing experience, sighed "it can't go back" when mentioning catches. Previously, large largehead hairtail five or six fingers wide were very common; now they are generally three or four fingers wide or less, and the quantity is declining year by year. Among anglers, fishing results are usually counted by "number of fridge boxes." Previously, a small fridge with a 100-liter capacity could be filled with about 130-150 largehead hairtail (about 60-70 Taiwan jin), and one person could catch 2 boxes in one night. "Now it all has to be counted by fish; one night with 40 or 50 Taiwan jin counts as impressive."
The Chinese market "takes all sizes" - business opportunity or crisis for largehead hairtail?
Behind the warning signs revealed by "fewer in number and smaller in size" is the manifestation of huge business opportunities. China's demand for largehead hairtail is growing larger and larger. Even though more than 1 million tons are caught each year, supply still falls short of demand, and imports are still needed. Even the small largehead hairtail that Taiwanese people originally did not like to eat and that had low economic value are now in demand.
As the value of largehead hairtail rises, more and more people are investing in catching them. In the past, largehead hairtail was mainly sold domestically, but in recent years the quantity exported to China has doubled year after year. "It is because there is demand and profit that people desperately catch largehead hairtail. Many fishing vessels switched to catching largehead hairtail a few years ago, because largehead hairtail are in coastal and offshore waters, and the fuel money for going out to sea each day is not much. Low cost plus good prices, and some fishing vessels even do not return to port and trade directly at sea, where the price is even better." A-wen, a cadre of a northern fishermen's association, revealed observations from the front line.
However, the history of selling largehead hairtail to China did not begin only in these three or four years. Fishermen describe that fishing vessels in Penghu and along the southwestern coast began transporting largehead hairtail to China as early as twenty years ago. At that time, refrigerated shipping containers could be seen staying in ports waiting for fishing vessels to unload and load goods, then setting sail immediately. Some Penghu fishing vessels even traded directly at sea, and the volume of a single transaction should not be underestimated. They point out that resources have been shrinking year by year since then. In recent years, it should be that the proportion sold to China from the northeastern corner increased, which is why largehead hairtail policy and resources have attracted much attention.
Captain Tsai of Tainan deeply felt that the price of largehead hairtail has improved a lot in recent years. "More than a decade ago, the market price was 200-300 yuan per jin, and fish that were too small could only be sold cheaply as feed. Now (per jin) it is quoted at over 400."
