00:00Early each morning, Fugang Fishing Port on the southeast coast comes to life with crowds
00:05looking for the best deals and the freshest catch.
00:08But times are hard for everyone here, from the fishers to the customers.
00:12Fishing boats need fuel to get out to sea, and war in the Middle East means prices are
00:17up.
00:18Fishers here worry that as the war grinds on, prices could go up even further, making fishing
00:23not worth the cost.
00:25Already some fishers are choosing to stay on land.
00:28The catch here, and in nearby southeast ports, is down almost a third since the Lunar New
00:39Year, just a month ago.
00:41The result?
00:42Soaring prices.
00:44Something unusual for this time of year.
00:46Fugang Fishing Port is very different from the 20% to the 80% range.
00:52The demand is mainly due to the demand for the market.
00:56Oil isn't the only reason boats are staying in harbour in this part of Taiwan.
01:01The local fishery association says weaker demand is also making fishing unprofitable, even
01:06as fish prices go up.
01:17In this corner of southeast Taiwan at least, there is some good news for fishers worried
01:22about oil prices, who decide to stay ashore.
01:25The local fishing association will give them subsidies of anywhere from around 600 to 6,000
01:30U.S. dollars.
01:31The money will let them stay ashore for up to 120 days this year.
01:36For everyone else depending on the fish business, and for consumers though, there's no such luck.
01:41Only the hope that normal supplies return soon.
01:45Ryan Wu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
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