Taiwan’s distant water tuna fisheries

Taiwan’s distant water tuna fleet in the 1990s has faced the twin burden of increasing operational costs and reduced catches, increasing the pressure on an industry which has in the past been able to restructure in response to both constraints and opportunities. Increasing operational costs have been matched with problems in attracting Taiwanese crew. Access arrangements to fish within a coastal state’s EEZ are even more problematic for Taiwan given its lack of diplomatic status. Taiwan’s ability to cope with the increasing constraints on the operations of its distant water fleet emphasises that it will remain a major tuna fishing nation. Taiwan will maintain its interest in high value tuna fisheries although it appears that the catch of these species is being brought under strict control by the Council of Agriculture.