Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung goes south to inspect cold damage to Chiayi fisheries

Affected by successive days of low temperatures from two cold fronts, milkfish (working fish) raised in polyculture with hard clams in Budai Township, Dongshi Township, and Yizhu Township of Chiayi County suffered losses. On the afternoon of the 10th, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung, accompanied by Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang, Legislator Tsai Yi-yu, and Budai Township Chief Chen Feng-mei, went to Budai to inspect the cold damage. After inspecting the disaster, Minister Chen Chi-chung instructed that milkfish (working fish) raised in polyculture with hard clams in Budai Township, Dongshi Township, and Yizhu Township be announced as eligible for natural cash disaster assistance, with 9000 yuan per hectare, hoping to reduce fishermen's losses; in addition, because the working fish in the hard clam ponds died, filamentous algae removal must be done manually, and Magistrate Weng Chang-liang also announced on site that for fishermen eligible for assistance, the county government would add a subsidy of 3000 yuan per hectare for handling costs.

Magistrate Weng Chang-liang also proposed on site that in the future, for the determination of natural disaster subsidy standards, it be possible to use professional fisheries knowledge and scientific and professional methods to determine disaster losses, calculating the mortality rate of fish ponds based on water depth and temperature as a region-wide determination, so that fishermen can directly receive relevant assistance and reduce subsequent administrative procedures.

As of the 10th, according to statistics reported by each township office, in addition to the previous wave of fisheries disaster, new localized cold damage was added, including 93.64 hectares of hard clam ponds with polycultured milkfish (working fish) with an average damage level of 8.43%, with a loss weight of about 14204 kg; 10 hectares of tilapia with an average damage level of 5%, with a loss of 33,000 kg; 14 hectares of milkfish raised alone with an average damage level of 10%, with a loss of 16800 kg.

5 hectares of milkfish fry with an average damage level of 10%, with a loss of 1200 kg; 0.51 hectares of giant grouper with an average damage level of 8%, with a loss of 612 kg; 10 hectares of fourfinger threadfin with an average damage level of 10%, with a loss of 12000 kg; 14.17 hectares of barramundi with an average damage level of 5%, with a loss of 13,010 kg; 0.15 hectares of red snapper with an average damage level of 20%, with a loss of 600 kg; total loss amount 3,404,489 yuan. Considering that cold damage to aquatic products is delayed, each township office is still continuing inspections.