Business

Taiwan tilapia farmer turns poor man’s fish into gold

Shredded Taiwan tilapia tail fins closely resemble shark fins in both appearance and texture. (Courtesy of Kouhu Fisheries Cooperative)

• Publication Date：10/16/2011
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Rachel Chan

Taiwan tilapia, the most popular farmed fish in Taiwan, has become a national treasure, valuable from head to tail. The species could also play an important role in saving endangered sharks.

Wang Yi-feng, general manager of the Kouhu Fisheries Cooperative in Yunlin County and a Taiwan tilapia expert, recently discovered that the caudal fins of the fish can replace shark dorsal and pectoral fins in shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy favored by the wealthy and reserved for special occasions.

Sharks are facing extinction as millions are slaughtered globally each year due to burgeoning demand for shark fins as Asia grows in population and wealth. This also means the ocean’s equilibrium is being seriously damaged because sharks are the top predator in the ocean and vital to its ecosystem.

Wang told Taiwan Today that just over a year ago, he began studying how to transform tilapia tail fins into a product very similar to processed shark fins, and the tilapia fins are already on the market as a substitute.

“Caudal fins of Taiwan tilapia are a perfect stand-in for shark fins because they have the same appearance and texture,” said Wang.

“Most importantly, the fact that Taiwan tilapia is a farmed fish guarantees stable supplies of the delicacy, which could prevent sharks from being wiped out.”

Wang, who graduated from Da-Yeh University’s Department of Food Science and Technology, said tilapia fins—just like shark fins—are composed mainly of cartilage, which is flavorless but has a chewy consistency favored by diners.

Nutritionally, shark fins are believed by some to boost virility and be good for the heart, but in fact they can be extremely unhealthy because of the high levels of mercury retained in sharks due to ocean pollution, according to Wang. Taiwan tilapia fins, in contrast, cultured and processed in hygienic and scientific ways, contain no threat of heavy metal poisoning.

Workers process Taiwan tilapia fillets at a modern and hygienic factory. (Courtesy of Kouhu Fisheries Cooperative)

Established in 1997, the Kouhu Fisheries Cooperative consists of over 200 fish farm operators from three southern Taiwan counties with a combined pond area of 2,300 hectares, representing a quarter of Taiwan’s total tilapia farming area.

Taiwan’s largest exporter of frozen tilapia fillets, the Kouhu cooperative was the first of its kind in Taiwan to be certified as meeting international requirements of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points regulations, and pass Taiwan’s Certified Agriculture Standard, Wang said.

Moreover, it operates in compliance with EU food standards and provides traceable product resumes, he added.

The cooperative’s efforts to provide safe and sanitary fish products, and the certification it has received, are pivotal to tapping into international markets such as Canada, Europe, Japan, South Korea and the U.S., according to Wang.

Another good reason to eat tilapia fins is the price, he said, with shredded fins costing around US$120 per kilogram, only one-quarter the cost of shredded shark fins.

Shark fin steaks are much more expensive, but tilapia fins can only be used in shredded form because they are significantly smaller than their shark counterparts, Wang explained.

As his innovative idea to replace shark fins with tilapia tail fins has gradually caught on with domestic and overseas restaurants, orders have come from Hong Kong, Japan and many five-star hotels in Taiwan.

Currently, the monthly output for Taiwan tilapia fins stands at one ton, but Wang said the volume is expected to double, even triple, by next year to meet growing market demand now that the manufacturing process has matured.

“I believe there is great market potential for tilapia fins and I’m confident that consumers will love them.”

Wang’s ambition for Taiwan tilapia grew out of his responsibility to keep the family business prosperous.

A third-generation tilapia farm operator, Wang saw that the traditional business had become a sunset industry and was determined to make a difference.

In addition to finding a use for tail fins, Wang has shown that all parts of the fish have high economic value, including the once worthless by-products.

A few years ago Wang joined with National Cheng Kung University to successfully extract fish collagen from the scales of Taiwan tilapia. He then worked with a Japanese cosmetic company to apply the fish collagen to making skin care products that became a hit in Japan.

Wang Yi-feng, general manager of the Kouhu Fisheries Cooperative, is restoring Taiwan tilapia to its former glory through innovation and marketing. (Staff photo/Chen Mei-ling)

It is no exaggeration to say Wang has turned dirt into gold. When the tilapia fish scales are ground into fish feed, they are worth only US$0.5 per kilogram, but a kilogram of collagen from them is valued at US$13,470, according to Wang. He attributed the cooperative’s success to relentless research and development efforts, leading to a diverse range of products.

The renaming of the fish has also helped it reclaim its spot on the dinner tables of domestic consumers, Wang said.

Long viewed as the poor man’s fish, Taiwan tilapia was originally called Wuguo fish in commemoration of the two people who introduced the fish to Taiwan in 1946, Wu Zhen-hui and Guo Qi-zhang.

It was a cheap source of protein for many Taiwanese after World War II, and made a significant contribution to Taiwan’s economy as an export fish favored for its heft and high proportion of meat.

There was a negative impression associated with its strong earthy taste and humble image, however, due to the old practice of feeding tilapia with livestock excrement.

Today, tilapia farming is carried out in a hygienic and scientific way that not only creates better fish quality, but also results in higher productivity and production value, according to Wang. The fish are now fed pellets made of ingredients such as corn and soy.

Government and private sector experts gave the fish the name Taiwan tilapia in 2002 to distinguish it from the original African species, given that years of hybridization and breeding improvements in Taiwan had made it unique.

Noting that Taiwan tilapia is now considered a national treasure, Wang said the fish is a perfect example of sustainable development, as every part of the fish can be used and no waste is created during the manufacturing process.

In 2009, at the age of 28, Wang became the youngest winner ever of the Council of Agriculture’s Shennong Award, in recognition of the new technologies and management models he had introduced into traditional fisheries, and his contributions to increasing the value of tilapia farming.

For his part, Wang said he is always looking to the future, and will continue his efforts to “make what seems impossible possible.”

He is currently researching the use of hyaluronic acid extracted from the crystalline lens of the Taiwan tilapia’s eye to develop cosmetic products.

“I believe that in the face of global competition, especially from mainland China, innovation and quality improvement are the only way out for Taiwan’s fisheries.” (THN)

Write to Rachel Chan at rachelchan@mail.gio.gov.tw