Joint statement by the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan, Taiwan SPCA and the Life Conservationist Association ⬩ May 2, 2023

On April 30, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture (COA)[1] announced a draft amendment to the Animal Protection Act and put the changes to public comment. The draft amendment included a ban on several activities commonly seen at night markets, such as playing ring toss to win rabbits or hamsters, and using paper scoops to catch fish or juvenile turtles. However, after just one day, the COA backtracked on the proposed ban on fish and turtle scooping in response to opposition from vendors. The COA said that the ban would be limited to mammals, such as hamsters and rabbits.

EAST strongly condemns the COA's continuing disregard for the welfare of aquatic animals. Fish and reptiles are vertebrates should therefore be subject to protection under Taiwan’s Animal Protection Act. Recreational fish scooping at night markets is a cruel and harmful activity which meets the threshold of animal abuse under the Animal Protection Act. Fish are harassed and often die during the scooping process, while many more perish as a result of improper care at the hands of unprepared owners.

Furthermore, many people release unwanted fish into ponds and rivers, causing damage to natural ecosystems. There are many other forms of entertainment that do not involve cruelty to animals. Recreational fish scooping is an inhumane practice that should be banned. Some vendors have argued that if fish and turtle scooping is to be banned, then recreational fishing should also be regulated – we agree. Scientific evidence shows that fish have a keen sense of pain and can experience fear. In addition, fishing gear can also harm non-target species. For example, sea turtles, a protected species, are often injured or killed by fish hooks or fishing nets. We should seriously consider the necessity and alternatives to all activities that involve animals, gradually establish regulations to minimize the disturbance and pain caused to animals, and to protect their basic welfare.

For many years, we have been calling on the Fisheries Agency to establish regulations for the welfare and humane slaughter of aquatic animals. In Taiwan's traditional marketplaces as well as restaurants, it is common to see fish being scaled, skinned, and fileted while they are still alive. In addition, scientific evidence shows that fish that experience stress and pain before slaughter enter rigor mortis quickly after death. Once rigor mortis passes, the fish can begin to decay within 30 minutes, affecting the quality and safety of the meat.

For many years, we have also been calling on the Fisheries Agency to ban the practice of binding live sea perch into a crescent shape, which forces open their gills and causes the fish to slowly suffocate to death. The Fisheries Agency had promised to eliminate this practice within two years, however four years passed and it is still common to see this cruel practice in fish markets in Taiwan.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) published the Aquatic Animal Health Code in 2008, which sets out welfare standards for the transport, stunning, slaughter, and culling of farmed fish. Norway, Germany, and the Czech Republic have already enacted legislation requiring the stunning of fish before slaughter, while the European Union is working on similar legislation. In terms of the live display and sale of fish, Germany has banned the sale of live fish while major European retailers Auchan and TESCO have also banned the sale of live carp in their Polish stores.

In Taiwan, banning fish and turtle scooping at night markets is the first step in bettering aquatic animal welfare and an important lesson in respecting life. Such a move would shape the public's empathy for other living beings, and is an important step in cultivating a culture of respect for life. This is not just a matter for the COA, but a matter of national policy.

We call on the Executive Yuan to support the ban on recreational fish and turtle scooping and require the COA to stand firm in the face of vendor opposition. The COA should make a genuine effort to solicit public opinion and lead Taiwan towards a future where people, animals, and the environment can coexist in harmony, in line with global trends to improve animal welfare.

Translated by Yilun Lin (林以倫)