Fishery-solar co-existence pilot zones expanded to 1,289 hectares in Kaohsiung and Pingtung, fishermen's opinions divided

After the scope of the fishery-solar co-existence pilot zones in Budai, Chiayi and Xuejia, Tainan was announced on November 16, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Interior moved without pause, holding briefing sessions on the second batch of fishery-solar co-existence pilot zones. Yesterday (the 17th) they again went to the countryside to hold forums. The morning session in Kaohsiung was held at the Mituo District Office, and the afternoon Pingtung session moved to the Jiadong Township Office.

Under the planning of the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the second batch of fishery-solar co-existence pilot zones covers 622 hectares in Kaohsiung, accounting for 15% of the city's fish pond area, and 667 hectares in the Pingtung pilot zone, accounting for 14% of the county's aquaculture area. Following the same designation method as the first batch in Tainan and Chiayi, after excluding ecologically sensitive areas and conservation species, and following advance notice and local briefing sessions, the zones can be directly announced without going through the full environmental and social review procedure.

At the briefing sessions, most of the fishermen present looked forward to fishery-solar co-existence increasing their income, but Kaohsiung fishermen hoped that fishermen could develop dedicated zones on their own, rather than having solar power operators lead the integration. Pingtung fishermen likewise expressed a desire for a bottom-up approach, and further hoped the government would assist with loan support, and looked to Taipower to solve the problem of insufficient feeder lines.

However, Chen Zhongmin, secretary-general of the Linbian Fishermen's Association, a major aquaculture town in Pingtung, was not optimistic. He believes the aquaculture environment in Linbian and Jiadong is very intensive, especially with high-priced grouper and fourfinger threadfin as the mainstays, requiring extremely high inputs of time and cost. At present, it is quite difficult for young fishermen returning home to obtain land, and in the face of fishery-solar co-existence, most aquaculture households remain wait-and-see. Solar power operators also sensed that fishery-solar rents are not very attractive to Pingtung fishermen.

Kaohsiung fishermen: If fishery-solar is to be done, it should be bottom-up and developed independently by fishermen

Yang Zhiying, secretary-general of the Cieding Farmers' Association, who is also a fisherman, believes that the pilot zones are currently planned top-down, with the government opening the door to dedicated zones and then solar power operators entering the fishing villages to integrate them. Considering fishermen's desire for autonomy, a bottom-up path should be opened for fishermen to set up dedicated zones on their own. Lin Ziqing, secretary-general of the Mituo District Fishermen's Association, said that if fishermen in the pilot zones are willing, a channel should be provided to include them as well.

Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lin Chinrong responded that the Kaohsiung City Government has already set up a green power task force to provide single-window service, and that future fishery-solar co-existence dedicated zones proposed locally will have their promotion procedures drawn up by the green power task force.

Kaohsiung City Government: Fishery-solar co-existence is imperative, permit-of-use review will be recognized leniently

Lin Chinrong also said that promoting fishery-solar co-existence is one of Mayor Chen Chi-mai's policies, and that promoting fishery-solar co-existence in Kaohsiung's aquaculture areas is imperative to make up for the gap of the past two years. In the future, the Kaohsiung City Government will establish a cross-bureau green energy task force to accelerate assistance to operators and fishermen in handling administrative procedures.

Fishermen on site also raised concerns: "Will existing facilities such as work sheds or equipment around current fish ponds obstruct the permit-of-use review?" Lin Chinrong replied that these will be handled pragmatically together and recognized leniently, and that it will absolutely not happen that applying to install fishery-solar co-existence at a fish pond turns into having to demolish illegal structures first. If necessary, the Kaohsiung City Government will issue an administrative order to solve the problem.