Taiwan''s grouper industry has mostly recovered from the damage caused by Typhoon Morakot last August, with an average of 80% of grouper aquaculture farms having resumed operations, the Fisheries Agency said.
In order to help the industry to get back up and running, the government has approved a total of TWD 2.1 billion (€49.8 million/$66.3 million) in loans to farmers raising grouper, mainly in Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties in southern Taiwan.
The maximum amount of loans for grouper farms has been raised to TWD 5 million (€118,778/$157,828) from TWD 1 million (€23,755/$31,566) per hectare, with loans for farmers raising giant grouper raised to TWD 8 million (€191,411/$251,810), according to the agency.
Typhoon Morakot devastated southern Taiwan's agriculture and aquaculture sectors a year ago, causing more than TWD 1.7 billion (€190,052/$252,525) in damage to fisheries alone, nearly 60% of which occurred in Pingtung County.
In the week after the typhoon, 1,515 tonnes of dead fish were removed from that county alone, the agency said.
The agency said it has spent TWD 163 million (€3.9 million/$5.1 million) helping grouper farmers to clear the silt from their ponds, spread new soil, sanitise and improve water quality, and purchase grouper fry and probiotics.
The government also plans to provide half of the funds needed to build three ships designed for transporting live fish, to a maximum total of TWD 45 million (€1.1 million/$1.4 million), the agency said.
Taiwanese grouper are included on an "early harvest" list of goods and services that will enjoy preferential tariff treatment under the landmark economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China that was signed in late June.
[Source: Focus Taiwan]
