Towards responsible fisheries: Management of gillnet fishing in Taiwan

Taiwan is a country known for its fishing industry. Inshore, offshore, and distant water fisheries in Taiwan are all well-developed and gillnet fishing played an important role. As the international community maintains its focus on overfishing, bycatching, and derelict fishing gear issues and adopts the corresponding measures, Taiwan, despite not being a member of the United Nations, has established and complied with the said measures. This study will analyze the development of gillnet fisheries in Taiwan from the 1980 s to the present and the actions taken, including the ban of gillnet fishing on the high seas, prohibition of large fishing vessels from gillnetting, restriction on the length of gillnets, and requirements for gear marking and other measures to mitigate abandoned, lost and discarded gillnets. Through the various fisheries management policies and the formulation of relevant regulations, fishermen have been urged to conduct fishing activities responsibly to reduce damages to the marine environment and further achieve the goal of sustainable development of fishery resources. Other countries can learn from Taiwan’s experiences in improving the management of gillnet fisheries.