CHIAYI (TVBS News) — Taiwan Premier Chen Chien-jen inspected the newly-improved water environment plan at Dongshi Fisherman's Wharf in Chiayi County and attended a pre-establishment event of legislator Tsai Yi-yu's campaign headquarters in Dongshi on Saturday (Nov. 25).
The water environmental enhancement project of Dongshi Fisherman's Wharf was completed in March this year, costing NT＄175 million.
Chen highlighted that, with subsidies from the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, the wharf has been revitalized. He expressed hopes for the local oyster industry to establish a traceability system akin to Japan's Seto Inland Sea oyster industry.
Dongshi Fisherman's Wharf is vital for fisheries and leisure tourism in Chiayi County, serving as the second largest nearshore fishing port in the area. It's renowned for its oysters and is a famed destination along Taiwan's western coast.
With a history spanning 36 years, the wharf faced challenges such as land subsidence and pier damage. Chiayi County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang proposed improvement measures that received central government funding.
The Fisheries Agency under the Executive Yuan's Agriculture Department has allocated NT$2.068 billion for water environmental infrastructure projects across Taiwan, with 32 locations underway and Dongshi setting an example.