Aquaculture in Taiwan：A new vision for a diuturnal industry. In：F. Takashima, T. Takeuchi, T. Arimoto and C. Itosu (eds.)

Abstract

The practice of aquaculture in Taiwan has a history of more than 300 years. Modern aquaculture as it is practiced today, however, has gone through four development stages: dormant stage (1945-62), advancing and prosperous stage (1963-87), struggling and transitional stage (1988-92) and emigration and adjustment stage (1993 onwards). Taiwan has been one of the world leaders in aquaculture, not only in production but also in technology. It has become so by concentrating its attention on accelerating the expansion of its aquaculture industry. This rapid growth is partly due to such factors as vast and increasing demand for seafood, highly skilled and motivated aquafarmers, excellent support from research and extension service community, thoroughly integrated peripheral industries and subbusinesses. A high diversity and availability of culture species also signify the elasticity of the aquaculture industry in Taiwan with 119 species being cultured today. Despite all these, Taiwan has fallen prey to the many obstacles of a rapidly growing agriculture industry, such as diseases outbreak, environment deterioration, improper utilization of limited land and water resources and poor coordination between production and consumption. Besides endeavoring to solve those obstacles, advanced technologies such as superintensive close-system culture, modern offshore cage culture, controlled mass culture of fry, and sea ranching have been developed to sustain a diuturnal aquaculture industry in Taiwan.