President Ma Ying-jeou visited Kaohsiung City on July 19 to attend an evening celebration held in conjunction with National Fishermen's Day to bestow awards on 2014's model and outstanding fishermen. The president outlined the various achievements and development of Taiwan's fisheries industry, and pledged that the government will continue to protect the rights and interests of fishermen.
In remarks, President Ma stated that the output value of Taiwan's fisheries industry in each of the past three years has surpassed NT$100 billion, or more than one-fifth of the overall output of Taiwan's agricultural sector. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Taiwan's fisheries industry in 2012 ranked 21st in the world by total output value. The catch of Pacific saury last year exceeded 180,000 tons in Taiwan, which surpassed Japan as number one in the world, the president said. The joint efforts of the government and fishermen brought about these praiseworthy achievements, he remarked, adding that the nation should be proud.
President Ma also mentioned that shortly after he took office six years ago he convened a national fisheries conference at the Presidential Office, and participants adopted 27 reform measures for the industry with the hope of boosting the sector's development. The president said the government has actively sought in recent years to enhance management of fishing resources. Measures adopted include a reduction in the number of fishing vessels, fishing moratoria, fish fry releases, improvement of fishing grounds, and zoning off of specific areas for conservation. All of these steps, he stated, are gradually improving the environment for the fisheries industry to thrive.
The president further explained that the government in recent years has also taken active measures to improve the environment for the aquaculture industry here, thereby enhancing the quality of the fish raised at fish farms. For instance, he said, over NT$1 billion has been invested in Wenfeng Village in Pingtung County to erect the largest seawater supply station in Taiwan. Furthermore, some NT$335 million has been spent in the Yongan District of Kaohsiung City to take the cold-water discharge from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and supply it to fish ponds. These two projects support development of the aquaculture industry and boost the quantity and quality of the output, the president stated. He said that this will help to achieve development in the fishing industry that is both high-quality and sustainable.
President Ma also mentioned that under the early harvest list of the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed between Taiwan and mainland China in 2010, tariffs on aquatic products exported to mainland China have been gradually reduced, thus benefiting the industry. Taiwan runs a trade surplus with mainland China in agricultural products, he stated, noting that a major reason for this is the large amount of fishing products sold across the Taiwan Strait.
Over the course of many years, said the president, our fisheries industry has gradually opened up new horizons for itself. He specifically mentioned the development of the ornamental fish industry and related business activities. Last year, he said, exports of ornamental fish came to US$3.67 million, up from US$2.68 million in 2009, which shows that new methods and innovative business models are generating greater returns.
In discussing the government's efforts in recent years to spark development of the fisheries industry and fishing villages, President Ma said that the government has adopted a "Fisheries Industry Diversification Project" to improve fishing ports and fish markets around Taiwan. For instance, marinas have been built at fishing ports at Badouzi in Keelung City, Wushi in Ilan County, and Anping in Tainan City, he noted, with plans calling for these marinas to become important harbors for recreational boating. This will help drive the development of peripheral industries in Taiwan's fishing villages and spur increased coastal recreation, he said, adding that this is a big step forward in the effort to diversify the use of fishing harbors here.
President Ma also stated that the government in recent years has continued to actively engage in fisheries negotiations with other countries. He noted that Taiwan and Japan signed a bilateral fisheries agreement on April 10 of last year which expanded the fishing grounds in which Taiwan's fisherman can operate by 4,530 square kilometers. In total, the agreement covers an area equivalent to twice the size of Taiwan, the president said, adding that the agreement has reduced fishing disputes between Japan and Taiwan to just one last year from 17 in the year before its conclusion. In addition, President Ma remarked, Taiwan and Okinawa have reached a consensus to carry out fishing operations at different times, which effectively minimizes the chance for fishing disputes. Both of these measures are unprecedented achievements in the history of fisheries relations between Taiwan and Japan, he said.
The president also discussed fishing relations between Taiwan and the Philippines. He said that after the Guang Da Xing No. 28 fishing boat incident in May of last year, in which a Philippine government vessel fired on a Taiwanese fishing boat in overlapping economic waters, damaging the boat and killing a fisherman, the two sides held three rounds of fishing talks. Ultimately, the two sides reached a consensus to avoid the use of force when enforcing the law at sea, to notify each other before any law enforcement action is taken, and to promptly release any persons detained or arrested. President Ma said the "rational attitude, resolute stance, and tough measures" adopted by the ROC to resolve fishing disputes have won international praise.
The president emphasized that the government has a responsibility to enable the nation's fishermen to head out to sea with peace of mind, but he also urged fishermen to abide by applicable rules. He said the government, under the principle of "protecting fishermen but not covering up for their mistakes," will work to ensure that Taiwan's fishermen can safely operate in Taiwan's exclusive economic waters, as is their right.
After completing his remarks, the president presented awards to 12 individuals who were singled out as model fishermen, and recognized them for their contributions to Taiwan's fisheries industry. He then joined with the others attending the event in turning on an LED ball marking the commencement of the Kaohsiung festivities.