MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' waters chosen to experiment Taiwanese high-tech jigger

Ms Lee said the jigger was modeled after a fishing vessel developed to successfully catch Pacific saury

An energy-efficient squid fishing-vessel sponsored by Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) is heading to the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, north of the Falkland Islands, on its maiden voyage, to begin a six-month testing phase and examine the efficacy of its arrays of light emitting diodes (LED) for catching squid.

 According to the Taipei Times, the vessel ordered by a COA agricultural technology development project, was built by Taoyuan-based Dayu Optoelectronics Co, with technical support from Jong Shyn Shipbuilding, using a council subsidy of NT13 million, which is approximately 406,110 dollars.

COA Department of Science and Technology Deputy Director Lee Hung-hsi said that waters off the Falkland Islands were chosen because squid display a high level of activity in the region from December to May every year.

According to Lee, Dayu modeled the jigger after a fishing boat it developed to catch Pacific saury, in the hope that it would be able to replicate its success with the former operation.

The vessel boasts anti-corrosion and water-pressure-resistant LED displays, which fool squids by creating a “twilight zone,” as squid tend to gravitate toward dimly lit areas, she said.

Ms Lee said the power-saving LED displays are expected to help fisherman save up to NT3 million in fuel costs annually, which means a NT320 million (10 million dollars) reduction in fuel spending if all Taiwan flagged squid fishing-vessels use the technology.

She said the testing phase marks the first in a series of planned tests scheduled to last over a three-year course, during which the vessel is to embark on several missions so that fishermen can evaluate its efficiency at enticing squid, durability and fuel efficiency, before the company decides whether to go into mass production.

As the world moves toward eco-awareness, the vessel's energy efficiency is expected to garner international recognition and bring considerable economic benefit to the nation’s fishing industry, said Ms Lee.

“Every NT dollar in government subsidies is expected to generate estimated NT3.23 revenue, in addition to stimulating NT6.05 in private-sector investments,” Lee said.

She added that COA would continue to implement the agricultural technology development project in a bid to add value to the agricultural sector.