Larva fishery is one of the important coastal artesanal fisheries of Taiwan, and larva are important seafood consumed by the people of Taiwan. Scientific research reviews that larva of anchovy and herring are major target species in larva fishery. Due to extensive catching in the past, resources of anchovy and herring have gradually depleted, adding to the concern of large bycatch of the larva of other high value fish species, therefore there is a need to control the fishery, in order to conserve the resources in larva fishery.

As from 2008, the Fisheries Agency sent personnel to key fishing ports, to conduct control and verification of catch at time of landing, and collect information from catch logbooks for provision to scientists for scientific analysis, for updating the status of the resources. In 2011, the Regulatory Guidelines for the Competent Local Authorities to Manage Larva Fishery were established. The control measures include the restriction on the business scale, establishment of closed areas, annual total allowable catch, obligation of filling in and submitting catch logbooks, and coordination with the Coast Guard Administration for conducting surveillance and control of the larva fishery. “Effective management to replace total closure” is the top principle in the management of the larva fishery, in order to achieve the objective of rational utilization of resources, and this management principle may be amended from time to time, according to the actual condition of the fishery.    

Under the government’s strict management of the larva fishery, between 2008 and 2011, the catch of larva increased from 488 tons to the quantity between 600 tons and 790 tons, and further increased to 1,099 tons in 2012, indicating the preliminary result of management by the local governments. Understanding of the variability of marine resources requires long time cumulation of scientific data. The Fisheries Agency will continue to commission scientists to conduct the work of scientific reseaarch, serving as a basis for fisheries management.