Catch you in the Cage! The Analysis of Wanli Crab Cage, Fishing Method Which Protects the Benthic Environment

• Date：2020-06-23
• Page View：1657

【New Taipei City Message】Taiwan is surrounded by the sea. The warm Kuroshio Current coming up from the South encounters the cold longshore current coming down from the North, which enriches the fishery resources. In order to catch Wanli crabs that come down from the North to the South to feed themselves, fishermen on the north coast of New Taipei City have developed and evolved traditional cages into specialized crab cages suitable for the local area. This is a sustainable fishing method that does not damage the benthic environment. The New Taipei City Government hopes that everyone can learn more about where the delicacies on our dinner table come from, and also consume more environmentally friendly products to maintain our marine environment and resources, and create a sustainable ocean.
Evolve smoothly! Local fishermen seek innovation and changes to develop special crab cages.
Local fishermen pointed out that as early as the 1960s to 70s, when fishermen on the north coast of New Taipei City used traditional nets to fish, they discovered that there were a large number of crabs gathering in the waters off Fugui Cape in the northern waters of Taiwan. Because crabs mostly hide in mud, sand and reef, nets were not very efficient for crab catching. Later, some fishermen used iron chicken cages from local materials to trap crabs. The heavy cages were difficult to operate, causing slow development of the industry. Later, metal cages imported from South Korea showed good crab catching efficiency. Fishermen began to use specialized cages to refine their fishing methods and began to expand the scale of fishing boats. Only then did the crab catching industry begin to intensively develop on the north coast, with the largest number in Wanli and Fuji.
Wanli crab cages harmless to crabs, maintenance of the livelihood of fishermen and the sustainability of the ocean
The Director of Agriculture Bureau, New Taipei City Government, Li Wen, said that the feature of the cage fishing method is that the cage is placed on the bottom of the sea, taking into account the functions of attracting and catching, without destroying the seabed geomorphic structure, and let the crabs actively move into the cage, which can be said to be an environmental friendly marine fishing method. Furthermore, the crab cages will not harm the crab bodies. Therefore, when the small or ovigerous female crabs are caught, they will have a greater survival rate when released. It is recommended that people consume catches with friendly fishing methods and eat delicious seafood while protecting the ocean!
More information:
Official website of Wanli Crabs
FaceBook Page