Competitive edges of tilapia and cobia

Abstract

Aquaculture has a history of over 300 years in Taiwan and plays a very important role in the country's fishery industry. Taiwan's total fishery production in 2000 was 1,356,295 mt. Aquaculture products accounted for 256,399 mt or 18.9 percent of the total fishery production (Taiwan Fisheries Yearbook, 2001). In 2000, the total value of aquaculture products was about NT$26.5 billion (US$780 million), or 29 percent of total fishery revenues in Taiwan. The major species of aquaculture products are tilapia, milkfish, eel, hard clam, oyster, freshwater clam, and shrimp. During the last three decades, Taiwan's aquaculture has developed rapidly due to the combined efforts of aqua-farmers, investors, and experts from academia and research institutes. It has gained worldwide reputation in aquaculture technologies. Although aquaculture has contributed greatly to the fisheries production and value, its aquaculture sector is facing many problems and challenges. The major factors that may affect the sustainable development of Taiwan's aquaculture are availability of suitable land, high cost of labor, regulatory constraints, changing consumption patterns, and the increasing trend toward globalization. The aquaculture industry needs to prepare to enter an era of restructuring and increasing concern for sustainability. In order to make a successful transition, Taiwan's aquaculture industry has designed a number of strategies and/or policies in the last few years. These strategies aim to: 1) develop more high-tech aquaculture technologies; 2) develop fish breeding industry; 3) develop offshore cage aquaculture industry; 4) establish special zones for aquaculture production; 5) enhance the research and development effort on biotechnologies; 6) revise inappropriate regulations; 7) seek opportunities to invest overseas; and 8) adjust market structure and marketing channels to meet the growing competition from imported seafood. Commercial production of tilapia has gained popularity in Taiwan in the last two decades. The country is one of the major farmed tilapia-producing countries in Asia. In addition, Taiwan is the largest whole frozen tilapia exporter to the US market. It also exports high quality fresh and chilled fillets to the Japanese sashimi market.