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The wisdom of the older generation, the inheritance of the abalone farming business in Gongliao

 
  • Date:2021-02-06
  • Page View:400
(New Taipei City News) At the intertidal aquaculture pond next to Longdong Marine Park in Gongliao District, New Taipei City, a man in a heavy winter coat is preparing to go into the water to harvest Gongliao abalone. He is Zhixiang Huang, a second-generation Gongliao abalone fisherman and a young fisherman who has returned home to take over his father's Gongliao abalone farming trade. From being unfamiliar at the beginning to being able to manage a farming pond independently, Zhixiang Huang is now a true master of Gongliao abalone farming.

The most prosperous time in Gongliao was during the heyday of the abalone farming industry in Gongliao, when every family was engaged in the abalone-related industry and made a lot of money. However, the good times did not last long. In 2003, an epidemic broke out in abalone, causing a depression in the industry. Many aquaculturists turned to other ways to make a living, but Zhixiang's father, Hongqi Huang, did not give up on abalone farming, believing that the industry would flourish again. Inspired by his father's passion and perseverance, Zhixiang Huang would always come home to help on holidays even though he had left home for studies. That is why he is quite familiar with abalone farming. After his military service, he decided to return to his hometown to learn from his father how to raise abalone and gradually took over the management of his family's farming pond. To understand the growth of the abalone and lower harvesting costs, he began to dive in to take care of the abalone and harvest them by himself. Whenever the abalone season comes, the four members of the Huang family can often be seen working together, with Zhixiang diving and harvesting, and his parents and wife sorting the abalone on the shore. In recent years, the Huang father and son have been trying to improve their farming methods and seeking advice and assistance from experts and scholars to increase the quality and quantity of their products. Zhixiang feels that there are still not enough young people willing to return to their hometown to work in the fishing industry, and that the main workforce is still the older generation. However, he has also observed that with the joint efforts of industry, government, and academia, Gongliao abalone farming is a sustainable business. Therefore, he would like to encourage the second-generation fishermen and young people who are willing to return to their hometown to join this industry so that this local brand can continue to thrive!

The Fisheries Office, New Taipei City said that Gongliao abalone farming industry is an important farming industry in this City. The city government has continued to launch promotional campaigns since 2014, and in recent years, it has further diversified marketing initiatives to give more people the opportunity to learn about this delicious local ingredient, which in turn prompts local youth to return to their hometown to work in abalone-related industries. In the future, the city government will continue to promote Gongliao abalone so that this industry can continue to burgeon.
 
Update:2021-03-15