{"id":68751,"date":"2026-05-07T14:36:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T06:36:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/?p=68751"},"modified":"2026-05-07T14:36:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T06:36:58","slug":"from-the-harbors-to-the-streets-how-ordinary-people-are-weaving-a-net-to-protect-taiwans-oceans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/blog\/68751\/from-the-harbors-to-the-streets-how-ordinary-people-are-weaving-a-net-to-protect-taiwans-oceans\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Harbors to the Streets: How Ordinary People Are Weaving a Net to Protect Taiwan\u2019s Oceans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Protecting the ocean sounds both urgent and overwhelming. Most people might first think of beach cleanups or refusing to eat bluefin tuna. But then what? What is happening beneath the surface? And what can ordinary people like us actually do?<\/p>\n\n

In 2025, a group of volunteers chose to go further. They appeared at fishing ports in Daxi, Yilan before dawn, and at educational booths on the streets of Taichung\u2014demonstrating that everyone can take action to protect the ocean.<\/p>\n\n

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From Deep Sea to Coastal Waters: Dual Challenges of Distant-Water Labor Rights and Coastal Overfishing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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Taiwan is an island surrounded by the ocean. These waters nurture rich biodiversity, with over 3,000 recorded fish species\u2014about one-tenth of the world\u2019s total\u2014making it one of the most biodiverse marine regions globally.\u00a9 Greenpeace \/ James Liu<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

However, overfishing in coastal waters, habitat destruction, insufficient fisheries management, and climate change impacts such as coral bleaching and ocean acidification are gradually degrading once-thriving marine ecosystems. (Additional Reading: Protecting Our Seas: From Coral Surveys to Distant-Water Fisheries Governance \u2014 A Review of 2025 Ocean Action<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n

Fish Survey Project: Collecting Firsthand Fish Length Data<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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In 2023, Greenpeace launched the \u201cCitizen Scientist Fish Survey Project,\u201d recording fish species and lengths at fishing ports to provide scientific evidence for marine policy and conservation.\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace, together with ocean expert Associate Professor He Xuanqing from the Department of Aquaculture at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, and data science expert Associate Professor Xu Weiyuan from the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering and the Department of Environmental Biology and Fisheries Science at National Taiwan Ocean University, collaborated to combine artificial intelligence with citizen scientists (trained volunteers) for the first time. They collected empirical data on the body lengths of commonly found coastal fish species in Taiwan and investigated the relationship between these measurements and overfishing.<\/p>\n\n

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Now in its fourth year, the project includes more than 35 volunteer citizen scientists.\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

(1) What are volunteers responsible for doing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In this project, Greenpeace recruited two types of volunteers, namely \u201cfishing port survey volunteers\u201d and \u201cfish labeling volunteers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Fishing port survey volunteers are responsible for going to the front line of fishing ports to photograph target fish species. Before this, volunteers participate in training camps to learn and become familiar with common target fish species. On duty days, volunteers are responsible for visiting fish markets in Daxi and Nanfangao (Yilan), Kezailiao Fishing Port (Kaohsiung), Qianzhen Fishing Port (Kaohsiung), Donggang (Pingtung), and Magong Fishing Port (Penghu).<\/p>\n\n

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Fishing port survey volunteers must arrive at the port early in the morning, before fresh catches are sold, find the target fish species, place a specially made scale reference object, and take valuable first-hand data photos. \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

Fish labeling volunteers need to be familiar with every target fish species, and classify and label hundreds of photos uploaded by fishing port survey volunteers using computer software, marking the fish species in each photo. Over time, a large database is built to develop AI tools for fish species identification and body length estimation. This is the first AI system development in Taiwan combining fish species identification and body length estimation.<\/p>\n\n

In the early stage of the project in 2023, we selected 40 common nearshore fish species in Taiwan for investigation. Within this year, Greenpeace volunteers visited fish markets in five ports across Taiwan and collected a total of 18,180 fish sample photos.<\/p>\n\n

(2) First release of survey results: fish really became smaller<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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On March 9, 2023, Greenpeace Ocean Project team held a press conference outside the Executive Yuan, comparing mature body length reference values of pomfret in past literature with juvenile fish currently sold in fish markets, urging representatives of the Executive Yuan to submit the \u201cMarine Conservation Act\u201d for review as soon as possible. At the end of 2024, Taiwan\u2019s \u201cMarine Conservation Act\u201d was finally passed with public expectation and officially came into effect in July 2025. \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

On World Oceans Day 2024, Greenpeace released survey results of 40 common fish species in Taiwan. The results found that as many as 24 \u201cfresh catch\u201d fish species had more than half of their samples not reaching \u201c50% sexual maturity length (Lm50)\u201d. Among them, silver pomfret, star pomfret, greater amberjack, pomfret, and black seabass had proportions below Lm50 exceeding 90%, indicating the most severe overfishing situation. (Extended reading: Taiwan\u2019s first common fish census: 24 \u201cfresh catch\u201d species under overfishing condition)<\/p>\n\n

In view of this, the originally one-year citizen scientist fish survey project was extended into a long-term volunteer monitoring project. We also increased our scope to 45 fish species in 2025. Over these three years, volunteers collected a total of 24,227 photos, continuously supporting the Greenpeace Ocean Project team in promoting Taiwan\u2019s marine conservation actions.<\/p>\n\n

(3) From Volunteers on the Ground: fishermen are powerless, poor treatment of migrant workers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Volunteer Shujun heard the most direct warning during casual conversations with fish vendors. Some vendors shared that fish catches have decreased a lot in recent years, and the industry is becoming increasingly difficult. Volunteer Daoting observed fishermen\u2019s inner contradiction: \u201cDuring auction processes, some fishermen are very friendly, and they also privately lament that fish catches are gradually becoming smaller. Watching unscrupulous commercial vessels engage in uncontrolled fishing, they are also unable to control it. Otherwise, fewer and smaller fish are not good for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

For volunteers who grew up near the port, changes in the ocean are even more heartbreaking. Jia, who lives in Donggang, was deeply shocked when seeing an extremely small red snapper being caught: \u201cThe severity of overfishing exceeded imagination. I realized I cannot just be a consumer; I must start taking action.\u201d Volunteer Christina from Malaysia was also greatly shocked after seeing rare fish species that should have been protected in marine museums appearing in bloody auction scenes.<\/p>\n\n

An anonymous volunteer stated that the conditions on ships were dirty and chaotic, with migrant workers directly showering on board, and working conditions were extremely harsh. It was very distressing to see. This also warns that marine conservation is not only about fish, but also about the basic dignity and labor rights governance of every person in the entire industry chain.<\/p>\n\n

Volunteer-Designed Ocean Education Booths: from lesson plans to field practice all designed by volunteers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Indeed, as volunteers observed, ocean issues are not only about overfishing. In addition to nearshore issues close to us in Taiwan, such as actively promoting sustainable fisheries in Taiwan and solving overfishing problems, ocean issues also include distant-water issues, such as fisheries labor rights reform and stopping deep-sea mining.<\/p>\n\n

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In 2024 and 2025, the Greenpeace Community Outreach Campaign Team, in order to empower the volunteers in Taichung (Greenpeace only has offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung), launched the \u201cTaichung Ocean Volunteer Project,\u201d aiming to train volunteers located in Taichung to become frontline personnel capable of independently completing booth preparation and lesson plan creation for public awareness building. \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

(1) Relay of ocean protection: more experienced volunteers leading new recruits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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From August 31 to September 1, 2024, the first \u201cOcean Booth Volunteer Project Training Camp\u201d was successfully held in Taichung. A total of 18 volunteers participated in the project and were divided into three groups: \u201cDeep-sea mining,\u201d \u201cDistant-water issues\u201d (overfishing and fisheries labor rights), and \u201cNearshore issues\u201d (Taiwan Marine Conservation Act and sustainable seafood). \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

The Taichung ocean volunteer action began with a solid two-day training camp. The most special point of this project is that each group leader is a senior Greenpeace volunteer. Group leaders use their booth advocacy experience to guide new volunteers to complete an independent ocean advocacy action from 0 to 1.<\/p>\n\n

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In addition, Greenpeace colleagues in charge of social media marketing also came to share social media skills with volunteers, encouraging them to post content related to their themes on social media to expand influence. \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

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The second Ocean Booth Volunteer Training Camp was held from August 16 to 17, 2025. A total of 19 volunteers participated and were also divided into three groups: \u201cCoral bleaching,\u201d \u201cMarine protected areas,\u201d and \u201cOverfishing.\u201d \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/p>\n\n

(2) Volunteers Did It All: Creative Lesson Plans from Start to Finish<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Ocean volunteers brainstormed various interactive experiences to make the public more willing to stay at booths and learn about ocean issues.<\/p>\n\n