Facing the challenges of economic globalization, Taiwan's government must take the initiative to liberalize its markets and find new business opportunities, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today after listening to the Council of Agriculture's (COA) report on Taiwan's ornamental aquaculture industry.
Although agriculture is a relatively vulnerable sector in Taiwan, Jiang believes the sector will be able to transform itself as long as it applies its strengths, seizes growth opportunities, and adapts to the competition.
Jiang pointed out that ornamental aquaculture breaks free from the traditional business model and brings new hope to agriculture because it offers high added value, uses advanced technologies, creates close links among related industries, and depends little on soil and water resources.
To boost the competitiveness of Taiwan's ornamental aquaculture industry and find better development opportunities for agriculture, the premier instructed the COA to bring the Pingtung Agricultural and Biotechnology Park (PABP) in line with international standards, use the park's Asia-Pacific Operation Center for Aquaculture as the focus of ornamental fish development while linking with satellite fisheries and businesses, review industrial development regulations, create more diverse products, and help local businesses tap overseas markets.
Jiang also urged the COA's Fisheries Agency to bring more international exposure to this already renowned industry in order to develop new markets and boost citizens' confidence in the industry.
Over the past 10 years Taiwan has led the world in transgenic fluorescent fish technology, the COA stated. Taiwan also boasts many species of ornamental shrimp, supplying 40 percent of the fluorescent shrimp worldwide.
After the government incorporated the ornamental fish industry into the Quality Agricultural Development Program—one of the six key emerging industries—the industry's overall production value jumped from NT$2.1 billion (US$63.54 million) in 2009 to NT$4.4 billion (US$147.80 million) in 2013. The live aquatic animals industry has maintained a production value of NT$1.2 billion (US$39.34 million) annually, while export growth remained steady at NT$100 million (US$3.28 million).
The government will continue to assist the industry to build up its business operations and incorporate it into the free economic pilot zone program, turning the PABP Asia-Pacific Operation Center for Aquaculture into a production base for ornamental fish.
Aside from setting up a single window system, the PABP also provides swift customs clearance services and tax exemption of goods. In addition, it has established the agricultural value-added cloud platform, whereby all management mechanisms for import/export auditing are being carried out, including customs clearance through integrated electronic account books, inspection and quarantine, management of regulated goods, and customs bonding operations.
In the future when the special act for the free economic pilot zones clears the Legislature, the types of ornamental aquatic products processed by the center will increase from 500 to 2,000 or more, making the PABP a true aquaculture center for the Asia-Pacific. If the special act is not passed, however, the industry in Taiwan will suffer or even relocate abroad because it has not yet matured into a world-class transaction platform, the COA said.