Yesterday (the 22nd), the Chiayi County Government held a press conference in the first-floor lobby of the Taipei City Government building for the "White Water Dream, Good Food, Green Travel Plan," inviting fish-farm operators taking part in the plan to meet the public; Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan further declared that once the Food Safety Building is completed and Japan Good Agricultural Practices (J-GAP) are introduced, food safety will be firmly established for production in agricultural and fishing villages and for the downstream sector. The participating operators also actively invited consumers to join tourism activities, so that consumers could see for themselves how their products are produced.

At the press conference, Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan further told all media and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, who was present, that all restaurants and seafood in the travel plan have been vetted by the county government, "Ko P can absolutely eat raw oysters," and there is no need at all to worry about food safety issues, which drew hearty laughter from Ko Wen-je and the guests on site. She further stated that Ko Wen-je and city residents are absolutely welcome to come to Chiayi County together to experience the charm of its agricultural and fishing villages.

Everyone Is Welcome to Come to Dongshi: Rich Food and New Resident Culture

She said that the Dongshi fishing village does not have much government funding, so it also lacks gorgeous landscaping and decorations, and it is not easy to attract the public to come for recreation and sightseeing. But they know "how food actually goes from farm to table"; and because there is in-depth understanding, there is trust, and then business is done; only this kind of supply can be safe and reassuring, and at the same time agricultural and fishing villages can develop, "otherwise people will forever just come and go, eat and drink."

"And in our coastal fishing villages in Chiayi there are many new resident mothers," Wu Shu-fang said. Among our colleagues here today, there are 2 of Chinese nationality and 1 of Vietnamese nationality; and as far as she knows, at Longgang Elementary School in Dongshi Township, 9 out of 10 students in the lower-grade classes have new resident mothers.
Joining this plan can not only be expected to drive the agricultural and fishing villages and community industries, but also provide new resident mothers with a "tool for making a living," such as the food workshops, community tours, and marketing courses already offered in the community; once new resident women can be economically independent, "only then can their status at home be relatively raised." Wu Shu-fang said.

Housewife Ms. Wang, who tasted "Zhang Ge Big and Small Shrimp" on site, said that there are now a pile of food safety scandals, and many things cannot be trusted, but she will trust transparent "production records," and is willing to pay more to buy products with production records; Ms. Lai said she would be willing to join tourism activities to learn more about the production process of "Zhang Ge Big and Small Shrimp."

The White Water Dream, Good Food, Green Travel Plan links together 9 coastal Chiayi sites, including Budai Port, the community, Zhounan Salt-Drying Field, the Jigu Farm in the Budai Caipu community, Dongshi Baishui Lake, Dr. Bai's Fish Pond, Ark Leisure Fish Pond, Haitian Longdan Grouper Aquaculture Farm, Xianghe Leisure Fish Farm (Aogu Wetland), and Huarong Restaurant.

All restaurants and seafood in the plan have been vetted by the Chiayi County Government. At the same time, for the sake of the public's food safety, the county government will build the "Yongzai Food Safety Building" this year and introduce the J-GAP (Japan Good Agricultural Practices) plan, incorporating both upstream and downstream into the food safety plan.