NGO Says Large Fish Disappearing from Taiwan's Coastal Waters; Fisheries Agency Promotes Sustainability from Six Aspects
A Greenpeace survey reveals that overfishing is causing large fish to disappear from Taiwan's coastal waters, with the proportion of juvenile fish caught rising from 77.7% in 2023 to 93.3% in 2025. The Fisheries Agency responded that it is promoting sustainable fishery resources from six aspects and noted that coastal catches have remained stable at around 170,000 metric tons over the past five years.
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- 📰 Published: June 10, 2026 at 13:41
- 🔍 Collected: June 10, 2026 at 13:52 (11 min after Published)
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(Central News Agency, reporter Wang Shufen, Taipei, 10th) Greenpeace today released a survey report on fish stocks in Taiwan's coastal waters from 2023 to 2025, pointing out that due to overfishing, large fish are disappearing and the proportion of small fish caught is increasing. The Fisheries Agency stated that it has been promoting the sustainability of fishery resources from six major aspects, including reducing the number of fishing vessels.
Greenpeace pointed out that "Lm50" is a reference basis for assessing population health and formulating fisheries management. L stands for length, m for maturation, meaning the stage when fish are large enough to reproduce, and 50 represents 50% of the population.
According to the survey released by Greenpeace, the proportion of small fish caught annually in Taiwan's coastal waters before reaching "50% of the length at sexual maturity (Lm50)" has been increasing year by year, rising from 77.7% in 2023 to 93.3% in 2025. Additionally, for 30 species of fish, over 80% of individuals were caught before reaching 50% of the length at sexual maturity.
Associate Professor He Xuanqing from the Department of Aquaculture at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, who participated in the Greenpeace survey, stated that the three-year investigation reveals a serious "overfishing" phenomenon. If it cannot be effectively mitigated through management, it will lead to a genetic bottleneck effect in the future, causing fish sizes to gradually shrink. The amount of available fishery resources will continue to decline, and it is likely that most fishery resources will be used up within this generation.
Furthermore, the survey report indicates that while the Fisheries Act prohibits trawlers from operating within 3 nautical miles of the coast, data from 2023 to 2025 shows that Yilan County, Penghu County, and Pingtung County had the highest average trawling hours. Yilan County had over 30,000 hours, while Penghu and Pingtung each had over 10,000 hours.
Greenpeace Marine Project Director Huang Xintong stated that the coastal waters within 3 nautical miles are critical nursery grounds for most marine life, essential for the growth of juvenile fish and the replenishment of fishery resources. However, these areas are under high-intensity fishing pressure. Both central and local governments have turned a blind eye. In 2025, only 24 trawling violation penalties were issued by the Fisheries Agency. Yilan, Penghu, and Pingtung recorded zero violation penalties from 2023 to 2025.
Greenpeace calls on the Fisheries Agency and local governments to enhance law enforcement capabilities, urges mayors and magistrates of coastal counties and cities to proactively allocate marine conservation budgets, and proposes potential sites for marine protected areas.
The Fisheries Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture responded, stating that it respects Greenpeace's initiatives and surveys. It noted that the reduction in fish size within catches could scientifically be attributed to factors such as fishing selectivity, the recruitment of different growth stages to Taiwan's surrounding fishing grounds, and a decline in biological length at sexual maturity. This requires confirmation through long-term monitoring of population structure.
The Fisheries Agency stated that it has already established length-based catch management regulations for species such as swimming crabs and mahi-mahi based on scientific research results. Local governments have also formulated catch management regulations, including no-fishing zones, closed seasons, and size limits, for important species within their jurisdictional waters.
Additionally, the Fisheries Agency is conducting long-term resource surveys and assessments for major coastal catch species, including mackerel, scad, whitebait, swimming crabs, squid, and mahi-mahi. It has established cross-ministerial cooperation with the Fisheries Research Institute and the National Academy of Marine Research to jointly propose medium- and long-term plans and secure funding for fishery resource assessments.
The Fisheries Agency stated that to ensure the sustainable use of coastal fishery resources, it has formulated and implemented management measures from six major aspects: "reducing the number of fishing vessels," "managing fishing gear and methods," "managing coastal economic species," "maintaining habitat environments," "resource restoration," and "maritime law enforcement." It has also established cooperation mechanisms with relevant ministries. Over the past five years, coastal catches have remained stable at approximately 170,000 metric tons.
Regarding the ban on trawling within 3 nautical miles, the Fisheries Agency stated that when the Coast Guard Administration detects violations, cases are referred to the Ministry of Agriculture for processing. The Ministry of Agriculture confirms the evidence of violations based on its authority and carefully handles them according to the actual operational situation of the parties involved. A total of 64 violation cases were penalized from 2023 to 2025.
The Fisheries Agency pointed out that Taiwan's fishing methods are diverse, including trawling, longlining, and purse seining. The modes of fish landing and trading are also diverse, including auctions, negotiated prices, and production-sales cooperation with processing plants. To avoid scientific "sampling bias," the agency does not rely on a single fish market. Instead, it employs multiple channels such as "random sampling of fish landings" and "onboard sampling by scientific observers" to ensure that samples reflect the population structure. (Editor: Wu Surou) 1150610
Greenpeace pointed out that "Lm50" is a reference basis for assessing population health and formulating fisheries management. L stands for length, m for maturation, meaning the stage when fish are large enough to reproduce, and 50 represents 50% of the population.
According to the survey released by Greenpeace, the proportion of small fish caught annually in Taiwan's coastal waters before reaching "50% of the length at sexual maturity (Lm50)" has been increasing year by year, rising from 77.7% in 2023 to 93.3% in 2025. Additionally, for 30 species of fish, over 80% of individuals were caught before reaching 50% of the length at sexual maturity.
Associate Professor He Xuanqing from the Department of Aquaculture at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, who participated in the Greenpeace survey, stated that the three-year investigation reveals a serious "overfishing" phenomenon. If it cannot be effectively mitigated through management, it will lead to a genetic bottleneck effect in the future, causing fish sizes to gradually shrink. The amount of available fishery resources will continue to decline, and it is likely that most fishery resources will be used up within this generation.
Furthermore, the survey report indicates that while the Fisheries Act prohibits trawlers from operating within 3 nautical miles of the coast, data from 2023 to 2025 shows that Yilan County, Penghu County, and Pingtung County had the highest average trawling hours. Yilan County had over 30,000 hours, while Penghu and Pingtung each had over 10,000 hours.
Greenpeace Marine Project Director Huang Xintong stated that the coastal waters within 3 nautical miles are critical nursery grounds for most marine life, essential for the growth of juvenile fish and the replenishment of fishery resources. However, these areas are under high-intensity fishing pressure. Both central and local governments have turned a blind eye. In 2025, only 24 trawling violation penalties were issued by the Fisheries Agency. Yilan, Penghu, and Pingtung recorded zero violation penalties from 2023 to 2025.
Greenpeace calls on the Fisheries Agency and local governments to enhance law enforcement capabilities, urges mayors and magistrates of coastal counties and cities to proactively allocate marine conservation budgets, and proposes potential sites for marine protected areas.
The Fisheries Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture responded, stating that it respects Greenpeace's initiatives and surveys. It noted that the reduction in fish size within catches could scientifically be attributed to factors such as fishing selectivity, the recruitment of different growth stages to Taiwan's surrounding fishing grounds, and a decline in biological length at sexual maturity. This requires confirmation through long-term monitoring of population structure.
The Fisheries Agency stated that it has already established length-based catch management regulations for species such as swimming crabs and mahi-mahi based on scientific research results. Local governments have also formulated catch management regulations, including no-fishing zones, closed seasons, and size limits, for important species within their jurisdictional waters.
Additionally, the Fisheries Agency is conducting long-term resource surveys and assessments for major coastal catch species, including mackerel, scad, whitebait, swimming crabs, squid, and mahi-mahi. It has established cross-ministerial cooperation with the Fisheries Research Institute and the National Academy of Marine Research to jointly propose medium- and long-term plans and secure funding for fishery resource assessments.
The Fisheries Agency stated that to ensure the sustainable use of coastal fishery resources, it has formulated and implemented management measures from six major aspects: "reducing the number of fishing vessels," "managing fishing gear and methods," "managing coastal economic species," "maintaining habitat environments," "resource restoration," and "maritime law enforcement." It has also established cooperation mechanisms with relevant ministries. Over the past five years, coastal catches have remained stable at approximately 170,000 metric tons.
Regarding the ban on trawling within 3 nautical miles, the Fisheries Agency stated that when the Coast Guard Administration detects violations, cases are referred to the Ministry of Agriculture for processing. The Ministry of Agriculture confirms the evidence of violations based on its authority and carefully handles them according to the actual operational situation of the parties involved. A total of 64 violation cases were penalized from 2023 to 2025.
The Fisheries Agency pointed out that Taiwan's fishing methods are diverse, including trawling, longlining, and purse seining. The modes of fish landing and trading are also diverse, including auctions, negotiated prices, and production-sales cooperation with processing plants. To avoid scientific "sampling bias," the agency does not rely on a single fish market. Instead, it employs multiple channels such as "random sampling of fish landings" and "onboard sampling by scientific observers" to ensure that samples reflect the population structure. (Editor: Wu Surou) 1150610
FAQ
What did the Greenpeace survey reveal?
It revealed that large fish are disappearing from Taiwan's coast, and the catch ratio of juvenile fish increased from 77.7% in 2023 to 93.3% in 2025.
What measures is the Fisheries Agency taking?
It is implementing measures in six areas including vessel reduction, gear management, and resource restoration, stabilizing catches at around 170,000 metric tons over five years.
How many trawling violations within 3 nautical miles were there?
64 violations were penalized from 2023 to 2025, but local governments in Yilan, Penghu, and Pingtung recorded zero penalties.