Oyster farming is a thriving industry for coastal communities in western Taiwan with more than 300 years of history. Stretching over hundreds of miles of shoreline, the industry’s success is underwritten by the favorable conditions of the physical environment – warm, shallow, and brackish water with nutrient rich foods essential for cultivation.
Oyster culture in Taiwan commonly uses three different methods of farming. They are raft culture in which the rafts are supported by huge polystyrene foam floats, bamboo stake culture in which bamboo poles are loosely tied together and driven into the soft sea bed, and string culture in which ropes are attached to and suspended from a support.
Unsurprisingly, the use of Styrofoam buoys for oyster production has caused widespread pollution along the coast of Taiwan and in the ocean. This debris has devastating environmental consequences and highlights the importance of strengthening resource governance if Taiwan is to deliver on its promise of a plastic-free ocean by 2030.