Taiwan is one of the largest fishing nations on earth and the associated fish processing industry is also significant.[1] More than one third of the worlds longline tuna fishing vessels are operated by Taiwanese companies with the total strength of the distant waters fishing fleet at more than 2,000 vessels. The fishing industry is estimated to be worth approximately two billion dollars.[2] Taiwan's ocean fisheries sector employs 350,000 people and there are 130,000 fishing households in Taiwan.[3] The Taiwanese seafood industry was worth 1.3 billion dollars a year in 2020.[4]
Taiwanese conglomerate FCF Co, Ltd. is one of the largest tuna traders in the world moving more than half million tons a year,[5] in 2019 they acquired Bumble Bee Foods for close to 1 billion dollars.[6]
Inshore and nearshore fishing
Bottom trawlers with a tonnage under 50 are restricted from trawling within 5km of shore and those over 50 tons are restricted from trawling within 12km of shore. Bottom trawling is controversial in Taiwan due to the environmental damage it causes.[7]
Distant-water fishing
Taiwan has the world's second largest distant-water fishing fleet with 1,100 vessels Taiwan flagged or directly owned vessels that employ 35,000 migrant sailors primarily from Indonesia and the Philippines.[8] The Taiwanese government heavily subsidizes the distant waters fishing industry.[9]
Taiwan's overseas fishing fleet has been criticized for a history of abuse and a lack of protection for migrant laborers, often from Southeast Asia. Official Taiwanese sources put the number of foreign workers aboard Taiwanese vessels at 26,000 but NGOs and US government agencies put the figure around 160,000. Foreign fishermen frequently report non-payment, long work hours, and verbal and physical abuse at the hands of their captains and officers, who are often Taiwanese.[2] In recent years Taiwan has made significant progress on the issue, but abuse remains widespread. In terms of human rights the distant waters fishing fleet lags far behind the rest of Taiwanese industry.[10]
A 2020 Greenpeace investigation found Taiwanese vessels in the Atlantic Ocean engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. They also found significant evidence of the abuse of foreign laborers. They also documented Taiwanese fishing companies using flags of convenience to obscure vessel ownership as well as unreported at sea transfers of fish.[5] Taiwanese fisheries conglomerate FCF was specifically singled out for criticism for links to illegal fishing and forced labor.[11]
In October 2020 the US Department of Labor added the Taiwanese distant waters fleet's products to its list of goods produced by child or forced labor.[8][4] In May 2021 the Control Yuan ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, and the Fisheries Agency to address the issue and heavily criticized their lack of action.[12]
In 2022 nine Taiwanese were indicted for the abuse of migrant laborers on distant waters fishing vessels.[13] In April 2022 the minimum wage for laborers aboard Taiwanese distant waters fishing vessels was raised in addition to new requirements being put in place concerning direct payment of wages and provision of health insurance.[14] The wage increase was implemented in July.[15]
Approximately ninety Taiwanese vessels participate in the long distance North Pacific saury fishery. Taiwan's total saury landings were 30k metric tons in 2021 and 40k metric tons in 2022.[16]
Boats in the saury and squid fisheries have been transitioning from incandescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) light bulbs to light emitting diodes (LED) which allows them for an environmental impact reduction.[16]
Whaling and whale watching
Commercial whaling was introduced by Japanese colonialists in 1913 and continued under Japanese control in World War Two. The practice was restarted by Kuomintang (KMT) authorities in 1955. It was eventually outlawed in 1981 under significant international pressure. The whaling industry historically centered on Hengchun. After the cessation of whaling a whale watching industry developed.[17]
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