The maritime industries of Taiwan are a large part of Taiwan's economy. Industries of particular importance are shipbuilding, boat building, maritime transport, aquaculture, mariculture, commercial fishing, seafood processing, offshore wind power and various forms of tourism. Deep sea mining, especially of dormant hydrothermal vents, is also being considered for the future. [1] In 2018 Taiwan was the fourth largest yacht building nation. Taiwan is home to a number of maritime museums and maritime colleges.
Taiwan is an island nation and as such has an intimate relationship with the sea. [2] Seafarers from Taiwan are believed to have colonized the Ryukyu Islands 30,000 year ago. [3] The indigenous Yami people of Orchid Island are famous for their seafaring skills and most Taiwanese indigenous people practiced some right or ritual related to the sea. Waves of immigrants and conquerors have traveled to Taiwan over the seas from Mainland China, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. The people of Taiwan are collectively known as the "Children of the Sea.” [4]
The principle goddess of chinese folk religion as practiced in Taiwan is the sea goddess Mazu. Her veneration is particularly popular along Taiwan's east coast. [4]
Geographically Taiwan's relationship with the sea is shaped by its location at the eastern end of the Eurasian landmass. The east coast is under the influence of the strong Kuroshio Current. The west coast of Taiwan is muddy with large tidal flats, tides in the west are much stronger than those on the east and as such they have a much greater influence on daily routines. [4]
The Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC), founded in 1976 as the United Ship Design and Development Center (USDDC), plays an important role in supporting Taiwan's maritime industries. [5] SOIC works on commercial, government, and military projects as well as basic scientific research. [2] The Yacht Industry Department of SOIC is the only government supported R&D center for yacht materials and design in the world. [6]
Taiwan's maritime culture suffered under the KMT who nationalized the seashore and closed off access to most Taiwanese as well as forbade private recreational boat ownership. This led to an extreme disconnect between the island nation and the waters which surround it. As late as 2010 half of all Taiwanese did not know how to swim. Since the end of the martial law period the Taiwanese people have embarked on a process of re-embracing their maritime culture. [7]
As of 2009 90% of Taiwan's trade was seaborne. Evergreen Marine and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation are two major ocean shipping companies based in Taiwan. Wan Hai Lines and Today Makes Tomorrow are smaller but still globally significant ocean shipping companies. [2] In 2016 amid a global downturn in the shipping industry the Taiwanese government spent $1.9B to support the domestic shipping industry. [8]
As of 2019 Taiwan had the 11th largest national shipping capacity by deadweight tons. [9]
Taiwan's main ports are located in Taipei, Keelung, and Kaohsiung. [2] Most of the nation's large ports are managed by Taiwan International Ports Corporation which is a state-owned enterprise. [9]
The modern shipbuilding industry of Taiwan began in 1948 when the Government established the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation (TSBC) in Keelung. In 1957 the US based Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation established the Ingalls Taiwan Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, which subsequently rented the TSBC shipyard and produced 14 vessels between 1957 and 1962. The Government prioritized shipbuilding as one of the core industries of the economy, in 1973 they established the China Shipbuilding Corporation which was merged with TSBC in 1978. In 2008 the ship- and boat-building industry had a production value of 2.09b USD with CSBC accounting for 54% of production, small and medium yards 22% and yacht builders 16%. [2]
As of 2009 there were 116 shipyards (including 34 yacht builders) and 10 marine equipment companies in Taiwan. Major shipyards include CSBC Corporation, Taiwan, Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Company, and Lungteh Shipbuilding. [2] Military and Coast Guard orders make up a large portion of shipbuilders books by dollar value. Between the Taiwanese Navy and the Coast Guard Administration Taiwan spends approximately a billion dollars a year on new vessel construction. [10]
One third of new yachts sold in the US between 1977 and 1981 were made in Taiwan. In 1987 Taiwan exported 1,755 vessels worth US$190.8 million to the US. During this era more than 100 shipyards and boatbuilders in Taiwan built craft for the export market. Between 1986 and 1992 the New Taiwan Dollar appreciated 58% against the US Dollar which made Taiwanese built yachts significantly less competitive in the US market. By 1994 dozens of yacht and boat builders had gone out of business or been acquired by competitors. Sales recovered but fell again after the 2008 Recession before strengthening again. [11]
In 2017 Taiwan exported one hundred and sixty two yachts. [12] In 2018 Taiwan was the fourth largest yacht building nation by feet of yacht built after Italy, The Netherlands and Turkey. Major yacht and boat builders include Horizon Yachts, Ocean Alexander, Johnson Yachts, Jade Yachts, and Ta Shing Yacht Building. [13] Taiwan remained fourth in the world through 2021. [14]
Regulations enacted during the martial law era meant that ownership of personal leisure craft was not permitted until 2010. [11] While maritime recreation facilities and infrastructure remain underdeveloped the Taiwanese government has emphasized marine sports and related tourism as an economic opportunity for Taiwan's outlying islands. [15]
The development of Taiwan's domestic yachting industry has been led by its domestic yacht manufacturers with Kha Shing and Horizon building marinas with associated repair/refit facilities. [16]
Aquaculture has a long history in Taiwan. [17] By 2006 the production of Taiwanese coastal aquaculture was valued at NT$11,817 million. [18] In the 21st century high technology is playing a greater part in Taiwan's aquaculture industry as the industry struggles to cope with labor shortages and fierce foreign competition. The Taiwanese government operates six fisheries and aquaculture research centers. [19]
The Aquaculture Taiwan Expo & Forum is the primary aquaculture trade show in Taiwan, it is held concurrently with the Livestock Taiwan Expo & Forum and the Asia Agri-Tech Expo & Forum. [20]
The Taiwanese scientist Liao I-chiu is known as the "Father of Shrimp Farming,” having pioneered many of the techniques and overcome many of the technical hurdles which allowed the creation of the modern global shrimp farming industry. [21] The giant river prawn is widely cultivated in Taiwan. In 2012 Taiwan produced 3% of world production. [22]
Milkfish is one of Taiwan's most commercially important fish, yearly production is 50,000 tons of milkfish valued at $4.1 billion New Taiwan Dollars. Consumption and ranching of milkfish in Taiwan dates back hundreds of years. [23]
The Taiwanese ornamental fish and shrimp industry is significant with more than 250 commercial operations, ~200 of them with operations in Pingtung County. Taiwan was once known as the “cichlid kingdom” for its specialization in cichlids, a fad which culminated in the breeding of the blood parrot cichlid in 1986. [24] The fields of biotechnology and applied ecology are playing an ever increasing role in the Taiwanese aquarium sector. [25]
Taiwan is one of the largest fishing nations on earth and the associated fish processing industry is also significant. [26] 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. [27] Taiwan's ocean fisheries sector employs 350,000 people and there are 130,000 fishing households in Taiwan. [19] The Taiwanese seafood industry was worth 1.3 billion dollars a year in 2020. [28]
Taiwanese conglomerate FCF Co, Ltd. is one of the largest tuna trader in the world moving more than half million tons a year, [29] in 2019 they acquired Bumble Bee Foods for close to 1 billion dollars. [30]
Taiwan cooperates with the United States to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). [31]
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. [32]
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. [33] The Taiwanese government heavily subsidizes the distant waters fishing industry. [34]
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. [27] 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. [35]
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. [29] Taiwanese fisheries conglomerate FCF was specifically singled out for criticism for links to illegal fishing and forced labor. [36]
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. [33] [28] 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. [37]
In 2022 nine Taiwanese were indicted for the abuse of migrant laborers on distant waters fishing vessels. [38] 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. [39] The wage increase was implemented in July. [40]
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. [41]
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. [41]
The first offshore wind farms in Taiwan, Formosa 1 Offshore Wind Farm, started its commercial operation in April 2017 at off the coast of Miaoli County. The Formosa II wind farms will be constructed also offshore Miaoli County with a planned capacity of 300-500 MW. The Formosa III wind farm will be constructed offshore Changhua County with a planned capacity of 1,900 MW. [42] Taiwan has one of the fastest growing offshore wind power industries in the world. [43] As of 2020, there were 361 onshore turbines and 22 offshore turbines in operation with the total installed capacity of 845.2 MW. [44]
In 2007 the Ministry of Education released the Marine Education Policy, the first education policy document with a maritime focus. [46] As of 2014 marine and maritime education at the primary and secondary level had been greatly expanded with each of Taiwan's 22 counties, special municipalities and cities establishing a marine education center at either an elementary or high school. Within nationwide science curriculums the portion of marine centered content has been increased. Marine issues are also taught to 9th graders nationwide as part of a curriculum on oceans and climate change. [45]
The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and Asian continent. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is 130 km wide.
The Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council, also known as the Taiwan Coast Guard or R.O.C. Coast Guard, is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting the resources of the territorial waters of the Republic of China (Taiwan), which surrounds Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu Islands, Green Island, Orchid Island, Pratas Island (Tungsha/Dongsha), and Nansha Islands as well as providing a first line of defense along coastal areas against smugglers and illegal immigrants. The CGA is considered a civilian law enforcement agency under the administration of the Ocean Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan, though during emergencies it may be incorporated as part of the Republic of China Armed Forces.
Taiwan is a multi-party democracy. The 2000 presidential victory of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-bian followed more than 50 years of rule by the Kuomintang (KMT) and marked the first transition from one political party to another in the Taiwanese history, reported by a Government Information Office (GIO) website as the "first ever in Chinese history". This followed gradual democratic reforms since the 1980s and 1990s; most notably, martial law was lifted in 1987, and the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion were repealed in 1991 for Republic of China Constitution to be effective in Taiwan. The human rights record in Taiwan is generally held to have experienced significant transformation since the 1990s.
CSBC Corporation, Taiwan is a company that produces ships for civilian and military use in Taiwan. It is headquartered in Kaohsiung, with shipyards in Kaohsiung and Keelung. It was a state-owned enterprise before privatization via an IPO in 2008.
Agriculture is one of the main industries in Taiwan. It contributes to the food security, rural development and conservation of Taiwan. Around 24% of Taiwan's land is used for farming.
Until the 1960s, agriculture and fishing were the dominant industries of the economy of South Korea. The fishing industry of South Korea depends on the existing bodies of water that are shared between South Korea, China and Japan. Its coastline lies adjacent to the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the East Sea, and enables access to marine life such as fish and crustaceans.
China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production. It is also a major importer of seafood and the country's seafood market is estimated to grow to a market size worth US$53.5 Billion by 2027.
As with other countries, the 200 nautical miles (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of the United States gives its fishing industry special fishing rights. It covers 11.4 million square kilometres, which is the second largest zone in the world, exceeding the land area of the United States.
Renewable energy in Taiwan contributed to 8.7% of national electricity generation as of end of 2013. The total installed capacity of renewable energy in Taiwan by the end of 2013 was 3.76 GW. As of 2020, the Taiwan government aims for a renewable share of 20% by 2025, with coal and gas providing the other 80%.
Crime in Taiwan ranges from food adulteration, bombing, assassination attempts, hostage crisis, murder etc. However, crime statistics show that crime rates in Taiwan are among the lowest in the world, and are relatively low compared to much of the developed world. A 2020 report named Taiwan the second-safest country in the world, based on low crime rates and a high number of survey respondents who indicated that they felt safe walking alone at night.
Blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment. Its scope of interpretation varies among organizations. However, the term is generally used in the scope of international development when describing a sustainable development approach to coastal resources. This can include a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism, or other traditional uses, to more emergent activities such as coastal renewable energy, marine ecosystem services, seabed mining, and bioprospecting.
The Taiwan Ocean Research Institute is the national marine science and technology institute of Taiwan. TORI is part of the National Applied Research Laboratories under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Technology (Taiwan).
Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Company (JSSC) is a Taiwanese shipbuilder based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the largest private shipbuilder in Taiwan.
Lungteh Shipbuilding is a Taiwanese ship and boat builder headquartered in Yilan County.
The Ship Ocean Industries Research and Development Center is a Taiwanese government owned naval architecture and maritime research institute founded in 1976.
The Ching Chiang class is a class of patrol ships/corvettes built by CSBC for the Republic of China Navy.
The defense industry of Taiwan is a strategically important sector and a significant employer. They primarily supply weapons and platforms to the Republic of China Armed Forces with few major weapons systems exported abroad. With foreign assistance the Taiwanese defense industry has produced fighter aircraft, missile systems, surface ships, radars, rocket artillery, armored vehicles, and small arms.
The Yilan-class patrol vessel is a pair of heavy patrol vessels of the Coast Guard Administration of Taiwan.
Karmin international is a Taiwanese boatbuilding company specializing in the design of high speed rigid inflatable boats.
Aquaculture has a long history in Taiwan and is an important component of the Maritime industries of Taiwan.