The proposal to award 800 million yuan a year for "voluntary fishing moratorium" was passed on first reading, accounting for 1/5 of the annual budget of the Fisheries Department. Is it really a fishing moratorium or a disguised subsidy?

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In response to the decline in catch, the Fisheries Administration has carried out a "voluntary fishing moratorium" since 1991. As long as it goes to sea for more than 90 days a year and the fishing moratorium lasts for more than 120 days, each fishing vessel can receive subsidies ranging from 9600 yuan to 300000 8000 yuan. However, because the application threshold is too low, it is criticized that there is no real significance of the fishing moratorium. According to the investigation by the Supervisory Yuan, it is of no help to the restoration of offshore fishery resources and is reduced to a subsidy in disguise, requiring the Council of Agriculture to review its effectiveness.

However, recently, legislators proposed to increase the minimum subsidy for each fishing boat to NT $50,000, and to increase the subsidy according to the number of tons. Take a CT2 fishing vessel (10 ─ 20 tons) as an example, the current subsidy for fishing moratorium will be NT $21500. If legislation is passed in the future, it will receive NT $70,000 a year, and even fishermen will shout, "what a death sentence!" (Taiwanese "make a lot of money")

The proposal was quickly read and passed in April this year, and it will be discussed by the Committee on Wednesday. If formal legislation is enacted, according to the estimation of the Fisheries Department, it will need to allocate 800 million funds. At present, the full-year budget of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department is only 3.8 billion. There will soon be a budget of 1,000,000 yuan for this subsidy. Can we really achieve the goal of suspending fishing and enabling the ocean to live?. Or subsidize or crowd out other budgets in disguise? Attract attention from all walks of life.

Picture source / upstream and downstream information photos

Bill legislator: Marine conservation needs to consider the livelihood of fishermen

Since the outside world thinks that the voluntary reward policy is not effective in conserving resources, why do legislators propose to increase the amount of incentives? "Marine conservation is the top policy, but we have to take into account the livelihood of fishermen." Yang Yao, a legislator of the proposal, points out that in recent years, Taiwan has designated no fishing areas, no fishing periods, restrictions on fishing vessels, and so on. although these measures maintain marine resources, they also reduce the income of fishermen. "at the same time, conservation should also provide relative incentives for fishermen." Fishing boats employ fishermen, "just because they don't go to sea for a certain period of time, they don't have to pay a salary." Fishermen have a high burden and must be given appropriate subsidies. "at present, the subsidy is small, with a maximum of 50,000 to 60,000 under 126 tons."

In response to the fact that the voluntary fishing moratorium policy has been criticized by the outside world as "ineffective," Yang explained that marine conservation cannot get a direct effect from the fishing moratorium subsidy, and it should be restricted through the establishment of no-fishing areas, fishing ban periods, and fishing methods. the purpose of the fishing moratorium subsidy is to ensure the sustainable development of the fishing industry, and when fishermen are unable to go to sea, there is a certain subsidy.

As for the annual budget of nearly 800 million, is the incentive for voluntary fishing closure too much? Yang believes that in terms of the total central budget, NT $800 million is not much, accounting for nearly 1/5 of the total budget of the Fisheries Department, because Taiwan's total budget for fisheries is too small.

Fishery Department: at least 120 days a year without going to sea, which can protect marine resources.

With regard to the frequent points out by the outside world that the incentives for voluntary fishing closures are ineffective, Shi Junyi explained that it is difficult to estimate the actual results, because it is uncertain whether the fishermen's voluntary fishing moratorium happens to be the spawning period and the growth period, but at least 120 days a year do not go out to sea fishing. This can still conserve marine resources.

There are a total of more than 20,000 fishing vessels in Taiwan, and at present there are 10,000 fishing vessels receiving a voluntary fishing moratorium reward. Is the threshold too low?. In response, some fishing vessels are still unable to meet the threshold, as to whether the actual fishing moratorium target has been achieved? The time of fishing moratorium in Hong Kong is longer than that of fishing out of Hong Kong. "this is to encourage them to go out fishing in the real fishing season, but usually do not go fishing at sea if it is not the fishing season, so as to reduce the number of days of operation."

According to the Fisheries Administration, Captain Wu said that as far as his small boat is concerned, the west coast is particularly rough. If the waves exceed one meter, they will not go to sea. At most, they will go to sea 90 times a year. At other times, they will not be able to go fishing at all due to weather and other factors. They cannot go to sea for more than 120 days a year, which has nothing to do with the reward of fishing moratorium.

AFD: "designated fishing moratorium" is more effective, but the cost is high.

Shi also points out that in terms of effectiveness, "a designated fishing moratorium will certainly be better than a voluntary fishing moratorium, which can be confirmed." However, the problem lies in the high cost of designated fishing moratorium, and the source of funding is the key point.

Shih says that there is only one case of Taiwan's designated fishing moratorium, which is the fish fry (kissing larvae) in the Mengliao area of Pingtung. From June to September each year, the fish fry cannot be caught. In 1996, 27 fishing boats participated and allocated a budget of NT $3352000. In 1997, 19 fishing vessels participated and allocated a budget of NT $2432000, but at that time only a two-year designated fishing moratorium was implemented in the Laoliao area, and then stopped.

Shih explains that on the one hand, because of the problem of funds, the calculated costs include the loss and cost of fishing vessels without operation; coupled with the low willingness of fishermen, "the designated moratorium means that I cannot go fishing for a certain period of time, and no matter how much the tonnage of fishing vessels is, they cannot go to sea, otherwise some fishing vessels will not be able to achieve the goal of resource conservation, so we must reach an agreement not to go to sea." So the difficulty is high.

Even though there are financial difficulties and fishermen's low willingness to participate, Shi still believes that "a designated fishing moratorium is the main goal." By designating a fishing moratorium, during the period when you want to restore the resources, including the spawning period and the growth period, it will be really helpful to the sustainability of the resources, and it will fight for funds in the future. Continue to promote, "now that major trawlers are more controversial, if they want to limit that they cannot leave Hong Kong for a certain period of time, they will pay the amount according to the time and the tonnage of the ship."

How to realize the "designated fishing moratorium"?

It is generally believed that subsidies for a designated fishing moratorium are the way to go in the future, and even legislator Yang Yao believes that a designated fishing moratorium can better achieve the goal of a fishing moratorium in imagination. In practice, "migratory fish come in winter and tube (lock tube) comes in summer, so when do you stipulate that fishing will be closed?" In addition, the subsidy for the designated fishing moratorium is high, and a certain source of funding is needed. "it was originally intended to specify a designated fishing moratorium in the amendment law, but because of budget problems, it was decided to deal with the voluntary fishing moratorium first, taking into account the sustainable development of the fishing industry and the livelihood of fishermen." However, we do not object to a statutory fishing moratorium, but we just have to push it slowly and take a long-term view.

However, once the voluntary fishing moratorium subsidy is incorporated into the law, a fixed budget will be allocated every year, and how to implement the designated fishing moratorium incentive in the future? Yang responded that if there is a complete plan for a designated fishing moratorium in the future, "the voluntary fishing moratorium incentive system will be reviewed, and the law can also be amended after legislation, and we will support it as long as it can strike a balance between marine conservation and fishery development."

With regard to the legislator's proposal to increase the voluntary fishing moratorium reward, Lin Ailong, CEO of the Sea Dragon King Love Earth Association, pointed out that if legislators really want to help fishermen who "depend on the fishery for a living", but also want to promote the fishery industry, but also want to achieve a win-win situation in marine conservation, then a fee should be clearly framed, such as an annual budget of 1 billion yuan, empowering the Fisheries Department according to the state of marine resources and annual policy priorities. To provide appropriate subsidies for compulsory fishing moratorium, especially in accordance with the designated fishing moratorium announced in Article 44 of the Fisheries Law, and its fishing moratorium lasts for more than 30 days, to help female fish lay eggs and small fish grow up, so that fishermen who really live on the sea can earn more money. "otherwise, it will only be a waste of people's tax money and will not help the development of the fishing industry."

Investigation report on fishing moratorium of the Supervisory Yuan

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