Eels-Taiwan's Lively Export

/　photos Chung Yung-ho

November 1982

中文

Eel is a very nutritional fish.

The inviting aroma of eels being simmered or roasted is a common emanation from small and large restaurants all over the Republic of China. The Chinese have appreciated eels for thousands of years, and it was said that the fish could cure night blindness and other ills. In former times, eels were caught in rivers and along the coast, and since supplies were limited, a dish of eels was considered to be a delicacy.

Today, the Japanese are the world's leading eel consumers, appreciating the fish for its nutrition as well as its flavor. Demand has long since risen above natural supplies, and in fact the Japanese have been breeding eels artificially for more than 100 years.

Even so, supplies have always been too low, and as a result, the need for imports was soon felt. With its close proximity to Japan and ideal breeding environment, Taiwan soon became a major supplier. With a brief interruption during the Second World War, research into eel breeding has continued for several decades, but only really began to show results after the middle 1960s.

In 1967, a Japanese mission to Taiwan reported that the island had great potential as a source of eels. As businesses became established and prices rose, many eel fishermen started to raise eels in ponds. These small backyard eel farms grew until many of them became large-scale commercial enterprises. Although Lukang emerged as the center of the newly established eel industry, nurseries could be found from Taitung in the southeast to Ilan and Taoyuan in the north of Taiwan. Exports of eel increased rapidly from 22 metric tons worth US$30,000 in 1967 to 20,000 tons worth US$170 million in 1979. Recently, however, exports have started to slow down.

Chairman of the Lungchi Co., Chai Nan, said that last year, Taiwan exported 30,000 metric tons of eel to take 95 percent of the Japanese import market. According to scientific findings, in every 100 grams of eel there are 3,000 international units of vitamin A, 18 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein and 249 calories, making it one of the most nutritious food fishes. Because it is easy to digest, eel is ideal for infants and old people. Its low level of fatty acids make it an extremely healthy food.

While both believe eels provide energy, the Chinese feel it should be eaten in the winter to fight the cold, while the Japanese feel it should be eaten in the summer to renew strength lost through perspiration. Another difference is that the Chinese, like the Europeans, prefer large eels, while the Japanese favor medium size fish weighing about a quarter of a kilogram. Again, this reflects different eating habits. The Chinese like to make eel into soup to savor its essence indirectly, while the Japanese prefer to eat the flesh itself. So popular is eel in Japan, that the people there set aside an "eel-eating day" every year.

Apart from its ideal climate, Taiwan has 10 years of breeding experience to give it a strong position in eel production. It takes only 10 months to a year to bring an eel to maturity in Taiwan compared with 18 months to two years in Japan. In Taiwan, 80 percent of eels reach maturity, compared with 30 to 50 percent in Japan. As a result, it costs well over US$5 a kilogram to raise eels in Japan compared with well below this figure in Taiwan.

The Republic of China has already reached the stage of large-scale commercial fisheries. One of the biggest producers, the Lung Chi Co. has a fishery covering 20 hectares with 116 large and small ponds. To keep the water clean, the containing pools are built of steel and brick, and have their bottoms covered with a 5 cm. layer of gravel. This gravel collects dirt and provides a place for the eels to burrow in winter. Ponds are cleaned, fumigated and aired once a year, and have a constant flow of water.

Because eels prefer deep water, special attention must be paid to aeration. During sunny days, the water absorbs enough oxygen, but when it is cloudy, at night, or even when it is too hot, specially made paddles must be rotated to aerate the ponds. In case of power failure, an emergency generator must be switched on immediately.

Eels are usually divided into four or five categories according to size and rate of growth to allow easy management and feeding. When they are ready for market, the eels are placed in plastic bags of 10 to 20 kilogram capacity which are filled with oxygen for the 2 1/2-hour air journey to Japan.

In 1974, the overproduction of live eels and the resulting slump in prices led to the establishment of an industry to process the fish. There are currently more than 20 eel processing plants in the Republic of China, which can store surplus products until the market turns around. As in the case of live eels, Japan is the biggest market for Taiwan processed eels. In one typical process, the fish are filleted and scaled before being roasted on bamboo skewers.

Recently, eel-raisers and concerned authorities in Taiwan have become concerned about an over-reliance on the Japanese market. Board of Foreign Trade first division director, Yang Jih-chang, feels that the United States and Europe as well as the domestic market hold promise for development. Even in the case of Japan, Mr. Yang feels that Taiwan can boost its share of the market from 40 to 60 percent, even though 95 percent of Taiwan's production already goes to that country. In the case of Southeast Asian countries, Mr. Yang points out that Hong Kong only imported 1,000 tons of eels last year, and other countries with large Chinese populations, such as Singapore and Malaysia, should also be developed.

Trade missions from Taiwan discovered there is a large consumption of wild eels in Europe, but there is no reason why Taiwan's farmed eels should not become popular as well. But as in the case of the U.S. processed eels would be more suitable for export because of the long distances involved.

Taiwan's eel raising industry has proved to be particularly beneficial because it can be developed in coastal areas where little else can be produced. It has therefore played a big role in increasing rural incomes. Because eel exports earned US$200 million in foreign exchange last year, the industry has benefited the nation as a whole as well.

[Picture Caption]

Top: Eel is a very nutritional fish. Bottom: A large scale fishery.

1. Catching the eel. 2. Processing eel: the freezing stage. 3. Roast eel is one type of processed eel. 4. Paddles increase the oxygen content of the water. 5. Eel is a favored dish in Japan.

Left: Most eel is exported to Japan. Right: Packaging eel.

Left: An eel roaster. Right: It is hoped that processed eel will help expand the eel export market.