Country paper： Republic of China (2)

Abstract

Aquaculture in Taiwan has a history over three hundred years since it started to develop in the 18th century. It has not been recognized in the world until about 20 years ago with its advanced production technology and operation scale. Both the innovation in production technology and hard-working aqua-farmers play vital roles in aquaculture development. The rapid growth in a short period, overemphasizing the increase in production and pursuing the economic profit have neglected regulations which, in turn, bred problems in land and water overuse, environment degradation and pollution. The aquaculture industry is also facing disturbances in waste effluent, disease outbreaks, chemical residuals and mutual impact between aquaculture and environment, which impede the industry's development. Based on past experiences, appropriate regulations will keep the sustainable growth of the industry. Therefore, an efficient aquaculture management system from the institutional and implementing viewpoints is a very intriguing issue in Taiwan's aquaculture policy.