FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

To raise public awareness of seafood sources and sustainable fisheries, the Fisheries Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, organized five fish consumption education promotion activities in 2024, along with a joint training course for professional food and agriculture educators. One of the promotional events was held at the Kan-Tzai-Ding Wholesale Fish Market in Keelung, providing the public with an opportunity to learn about various seafood species and their sources. The training course included experience-sharing sessions on algae, white shrimp, and other seafood, equipping seed educators with relevant knowledge. To further promote fish consumption education, the Fisheries Research Institute continues to develop educational materials on domestic agricultural, fishery, and livestock products. To date, eight textbooks, including those on white shrimp and tilapia, have been published. Future plans include expanding the publication of these materials and adapting them into teaching plans to enhance educational outreach. This year, a white shrimp lesson plan was piloted at Keelung Chenggong Elementary School, receiving positive feedback from teachers and students.

The Fisheries Research Institute stated that fish consumption education activities illustrate the journey of seafood from production to the table, encouraging the public to choose seasonal and local seafood while understanding the cultural characteristics of local fish markets. These activities incorporate concepts from seafood guides to promote eco-friendly and sustainable fishing practices, thereby helping to alleviate the pressure of overfishing on marine ecosystems. Dr. Chih-Yang Huang from National Taiwan Ocean University has designed a diverse range of fish consumption education activities, including the "Aquaculture vs. Wild-Caught Showdown," in which participants learn about the differences between farmed and wild-caught seafood, as well as hands-on cooking activities to broaden the scope of fish consumption education.

In 2024, for the first time, the Fisheries Research Institute introduced a new “Field Visit Quest” at the Kan-Tzai-Ding Fish Market in Keelung. Participants visited the market at 1:00 AM to observe its operations, learn how to identify and purchase seasonal seafood, and joined a hands-on cooking session at the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology's Ecological Kitchen. This experience guided participants through seafood selection, cleaning, cutting, and preparation, highlighting the distinct characteristics of different seafood products. The event attracted families from Pingtung to Keelung, demonstrating the widespread appeal of fish consumption education.

Additionally, to train seed educators in food and agriculture education focusing on aquatic products, the Fisheries Research Institute holds an annual joint training course for professional educators. This year, the course expanded its scope to include seafood promotion experiences. Associate Researcher Yen-Wei Chang delivered a lecture on food and agriculture education policies and regulations, sharing insights from the white shrimp education program at Keelung Chenggong Elementary School. The program not only provided knowledge of the white shrimp supply chain but also included a hands-on shrimp blanching activity, allowing students to experience peeling shrimp and share their learning experiences with their parents. The event also featured Assistant Researcher Li-Chin Chou from the National Academy of Marine Research, who discussed the applications and industry outlook of large algae, such as agar from the Northeast Coast, purple laver from Penghu, and wakame from Matsu. Additionally, Dr. Chih-Yang Huang shared insights into promoting fish consumption education, further deepening its impact.

The Fisheries Research Institute emphasized that in recent years, it has actively promoted fish consumption education and has now expanded its efforts to fish markets to help the public understand seafood production. Moving forward, the Institute will continue developing and publishing educational materials on domestic seafood products, such as white shrimp and grouper, to help people recognize seafood names, sources, nutritional value, and cooking methods. Moreover, it plans to integrate fish consumption education into elementary school curricula and collaborate with various organizations to further promote food and fish education.


Photo 1. Fish Consumption Education Promotion Activity - "Market Field Challenge" (Source: Dr. Chih-Yang Huang)


Photo 2. The fish vendor at Kan-Tzai-Ding introducing the different parts of tuna and marlin (Source: Dr. Chih-Yang Huang)



Photo 3. Fish consumption education promotion activity


Photo 4. The Institute promotes white shrimp fish consumption education at Chenggong Elementary School – shrimp blanching hands-on activity (Source: Dr. Ru-Ping Lin Team).
The Institute's educational materials on domestic agricultural, fishery, and livestock products are available on the Food and Agriculture Education Information Integration Platform —White Shrimp.
 


Contact Person: Hui-Chun Tsai, Chief, Fisheries Processing Division, Fisheries Research Institute
Tel.: (02) 24622101 #2601
Mobile: 0966-526398
Author: Yen-Wei Chang, Associate Researcher, Fisheries Research Institute
Tel: (02)24622101#2613
Mobile: 0975-263017