Taiwan hopes R&D will drive further growth of fish exports
TAIWAN
Thursday, December 12, 2019, 05:30 (GMT + 9)
Taiwan is exploiting its advantage in research and development (R&D) to further develop its fishery sector and create more products from certain fish species, such as tilapia (St. Peter’s fish).
Taiwan’s technique in cultivating tilapia is originally from the Philippines. While it is a known tuna-consuming nation, Taiwan has developed and put into practice various techniques in the propagation, culture and spawning of various fish species including grouper, snapper, mullet and sea bream.
In Taiwan, tilapia is also known as the South Pacific crucian carp (Photo: The University of Arizona/taiwantrade.com)
The small island nation has also found better ways of producing other marine species, such as shrimps, crabs and seaweeds, oyster, mussels, abalone in its bid to meet domestic demand and that of the export market.
Inspired by the success of tilapia’s by-products, Taiwan is now looking into developing other marine species for medical purposes.
Fresh bangus or milkfish (scientific name: Chanos chanos).
Tilapia, as the Taiwanese also call it, is a freshwater fish that abounds in the Philippines. Taiwan is also actively propagating bangus or milkfish.
Based on the research of the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) of Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture, tilapia skin can be used as a detoxifying, antiaging and rejuvenating element. Taiwan was able to develop and sell skin-care products using tilapia skin.
FRI Director General, June-Ru Chen, said Taiwan has developed 11 tilapia species and allowed the island nation to produce an average of 67,000 metric tons a year.
“[Tilapia] is very easy to reproduce,” said Chen, adding that it only takes four months for the fish to grow from fingerling to harvest size.
Source: BusinessMirror
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