Developments in aquaculture biotechnology in Taiwan

Abstract

Aquaculture has been practiced in Taiwan for more than three centuries. It was, however, only in the past three decades that modern technologies were adapted and adopted. Taiwan's rise to prominence in aquaculture can be attributed to the fast and steady growth in production from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. This rise was largely due to several revolutionary breakthroughs during the 1960s, which made use of conventional biotechnological studies. As the aquaculture industry in Taiwan gears toward revitalizing itself and becoming sustainable, several studies on biotechnology and its use in aquaculture are currently being pursued. These include cryopreservation of gametes, reproduction and chromosome manipulation, and gene transfer in various species. Some mature technologies and practical applications already have been extended to aquafarmers in Taiwan. The present paper traces the developments in Taiwan and presents some current conventional and advanced biotechnological studies.