Aquaculture Shrimp: Once the Shrimp Kingdom, Now Beginning Chapter 2.0

During Japanese rule, Taiwan's shrimp captivated the Japanese living on the island. Back then, Taipei's Dadaocheng district and Beitou's restaurant cuisine featured Golden Coin Shrimp Cakes—shrimp wrapped in pork slices, dipped in egg wash, coated in flour, and deep-fried. Served piping hot with an irresistible aroma, these golden, crispy morsels resembled coins and symbolized good fortune. Paired with tomato sauce for rich flavor layers, they were the ultimate dish for impressing dinner guests.

Taiwan once earned the title "Shrimp Kingdom." In 1987, Taiwan's aquaculture produced 95,000 tons of shrimp annually—a quarter of the world's total. This meant that of every four farmed shrimp globally, one came from Taiwan. In Japan, every other grass prawn originated from Taiwan.

This was all thanks to Taiwan's internationally leading aquaculture technology. The tiny grass prawn earned Taiwan considerable foreign exchange, while the aquaculture scholar who developed the complete farming system, Liao I-Chiu, earned the title "Father of Taiwan's Grass Prawn."

Farmed Shrimp Emerge from Hard Times

However, around 1987, intensive long-term farming practices degraded water quality, leading to white spot disease in grass prawn. Production plummeted overnight, devastating the grass prawn industry. Kuruma shrimp, which seemed poised to capitalize on the grass prawn crisis, soon faced their own disease outbreaks.

After years of effort by farmers, Taiwan's shrimp aquaculture industry has finally begun emerging from this downturn in recent years. The focus has shifted from grass prawn to whiteleg shrimp: in 2022, Taiwan's whiteleg shrimp production was valued at nearly NT$2.2 billion, primarily from saltwater farming operations.

The freshwater giant river prawn commonly found at shrimp fishing parlors—colloquially called "Thai shrimp"—also generated over NT$1.5 billion in value. Farmers now prioritize environmental stewardship, using smart technology to improve farming efficiency. Combined with government support through traceability programs, this collaborative effort has boosted the competitiveness of domestically farmed shrimp.