FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

The Fisheries Agency will actively assist the industry to visit South Korea for clarification on the incident and promotion of the products of Taiwan Tilapia In recent days, a South Korea TV show “X-files of food” defamed the quality of Taiwan Tilapia and implied that the fishermen in Taiwan have abused antibiotics in aquaculture. In response to this incident, the Fisheries Agency of Taiwan indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fisheries Agency and industry alliance and associations has taken actions respectively against this biased and untrue TV show “X-files of food”. The Taipei Mission in South Korea expressed serious concern to the TV station and requested them to clarify and announce corrections. The Fisheries Agency had assisted the industry groups in inviting South Korean buyers to have an on-the-spot survey to the farm pond of Taiwan Tilapia farm to understand the really farm situation. The Fisheries Agency of Taiwan indicated that the Taiwan Tilapia Alliance had held a meeting on 2nd November 2013 to discuss how to safeguard the reputation and dignity of Taiwan Tilapia industry. In the meeting, most of members suggested to make a film on the process of high grade aquaculture, and hold a press conference in South Korea to clarify and promote the products of Taiwan Tilapia so as to resume the market and image. In addition, the Alliance will also visit the South Korean Mission in Taipei to clarify this untrue and misleading information provided by the South Korean TV show. The Fisheries Agency will devote every effort to support the industry to visit South Korea for clarification on the incident and promotion of the products of Taiwan Tilapia, and continue to discuss with the Alliance on the following details, as well as to communicate with the parties of South Korea through our Mission in South Korea. The Government had expressed serious concern to South Korea and requested them to announce corrections immediately, as well as to assist our industry groups in inviting South Korean buyers to visit Taiwan The Fisheries Agency of Taiwan explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested the Taipei Mission in South Korea to visit the TV station Channel A that produced the TV show “X-files of food”, to express our serious concerns on this matter. The Mission had also clarified that Taiwan Tilapia is a high-grade seafood product and requested the TV station to clarify and correct their untrue and misleading reporting. In the meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also called Mr. Chung Sang-Ki, the Representative of South Korean Mission in Taipei, to express our concern. However, when Taipei Mission in South Korea contacted the Channel A yesterday, they still insisted that the circumstance of aquaculture farm in Yunlin County is unhealthy. Therefore, the officers from our Mission will continue to mediate this issue. Furthermore, the Fisheries Agency had also guided and assisted the Taiwan Tilapia Alliance and the Nanyin Aquaculture Association in inviting South Korea buyers to visit the Taiwan Tilapia farms in Tainan. After visiting the Tainan tilapia farms on 1st November, the South Korean buyers understood the circumstance for production and agreed the fact that Taiwan Tilapia is high-grade aquaculture products. The industry of Taiwan Tilapia had gathered together to discuss the matter. The Fisheries Agency supported the Alliance to visit South Korea for clarification and promotion The Fisheries Agency pointed out that as a response to this incident, the Taiwan Tilapia Alliance had held an extraordinary meeting in the afternoon of 2nd November, together with other associations and groups, and concluded that the Alliance should be the liaison and spokesperson for this issue, and adopted actions such as to make films to introduce the high grade aquaculture industry of Taiwan Tilapia; to hold press conference in South Korea to clarify and promote the products of Taiwan Tilapia to resume the market and image; to clarify to the South Korean Mission in Taipei, etc. In the meeting, the shipping and marketing industry also voluntarily contacted the domestic cold storage plants to store up large fish to stabilize the fish price. The Fisheries Agency will fully support the abovementioned measures to resume the regular trade and to stabilize the fish price. The Fisheries Agency will assist the industry in exploring multiple channels for the marketing of certified products of Taiwan Tilapia Finally, the Fisheries Agency indicated that the annual production of Taiwan Tilapia is more than seventy thousand tons. Among which, 60% of the products of Taiwan Tilapia are exported to the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and so on, and the quality of products exported has been affirmed by the customers in the Europe Union, the United States and Japan. The products exported to South Korea are mainly frozen fillet, accounting for 15% of the total exportation. Despite that there are rumors of fish price fluctuating, the actual poolside prices do not vary much. The Agency will continue to guide and assist the industry in promotion of certified products of Taiwan Tilapia, such as ASC, TAP and HACCP, in the markets of South Korea, the European Union, the United States and Japan, etc. Contact:　Tzu-Yaw Tsay, Deputy Director-General Cell: 0935-740249 E-MAIL：tzuyaw@ms1.fa.gov,tw Data Source from Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture.