Learn all about Wild Caught fish from Hualien

As many tourists to Taiwan can attest, the seafood in Taiwan is amazing! It’s afterall an island that’s washed by the World’s second largest warm ocean current Kuroshio, which brings it with large amounts of nutrients and migratory fishes from East Asia. Hualien, on the eastern coast of Taiwan is one of the best places in Taiwan to taste the freshest seafood. Here's why :  

Why eat Wild Caught fish?

There are many opinions out there and there is no right or best answer. Free swimming fishes in the seas get lots of space to swim, so their flesh is often firmer. Supporters say eating wild caught fish is healthier, because the fish aren't fed with antibiotics. Naysayers say the wild caught fish contains a lot of mercury. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle…..We believe in eating a large variety of foods. This way, we benefit from diversity in tastes, nutrients and hopefully less environmental impact overall.   

Why not just eat farmed fish?

There is less variety of farmed fish! Fish rearing is afterall dictated by consumer demands. The upside is that farmed fish can be had throughout the year. Why not enjoy the bounties of the sea and eat something different, that changes with the season, since it is possible to do so? 

How does Fishbar catch the fish?

Fishbar 's fishermen friends uses fixed sea nets and also single line catch to catch the fish. The fixed sea nets consist of a series of cages, each with progressively smaller holes in the net. The smaller fishes swim freely or with the currents in and out of the nets. The larger fishes ( i.e. more mature ones) find themselves at the last cage where the fishes are too big to swim through the holes in the net. It is at this last cage where the fishing takes place. Check out the animation below.  

Isn't catching fish from the wild unsustainable?

It depends. For example, trawling is bad for the marine creatures because it sweeps up everything, including the corals on the seabed in its wake. Fishbar works with fishermen who use fixed floating nets that allow the smaller fishes to swim, mature and spawn freely, while catching only the larger fishes.  

What's so special about Wild caught fish from Hualien?

The wild caught fish from Hualien is as special as that from Kanazawa! Every coastal city has its own marine life and ecosystem that is special and unique in its own way! Let’s celebrate diversity!

Is Wild caught fish fresh? 

The freshest fish is available if you live and eat off a vessel that’s out at sea. The next best thing is to ensure that the seafood does not go through repeated cycles of freezing/thawing ( or cycles of temperature changes) before it gets to you. After being caught from the waters off Hualien, the catch is then cleaned, gutted in air-con rooms and frozen within 24h. After the deep freeze at -25^oC is complete, the frozen seafood is then air flown to Singapore and kept frozen until it is delivered to you. 

Fishbar is the first in Taiwan, to bring sustainability into the wild catch fishing businesses in Taiwan, that has spanned three generations. Learn more about them below and here.