Shrimping in Taiwan Goes From Leisure Activity to Competitive Sport
Indoor shrimp fishing has long been a popular and affordable leisure activity in Taiwan. But in recent years it has become a competitive sport whose popularity has spread beyond the country's borders and where the best shrimpers can make a decent living.
Transcript
00:00 34-year-old Liao Kegang stands out from other young men his age in Taiwan.
00:05 Rather than spending his downtime playing video games or hanging out with friends,
00:09 most days he can be seen at the local indoor shrimp fishing venue.
00:14 It may look like a relaxing activity, but for Liao, it's a bit more serious.
00:18 It's a US$30,000 a year profession.
00:22 He often joins competitive shrimping events around the country,
00:25 and he has the trophies to prove it.
00:27 I remember the first competition was held at a shrimp farm.
00:30 I was lucky to win first place.
00:33 I won first place in my first competition.
00:34 It's natural to have that motivation for competition.
00:38 So I wanted to participate in any competition.
00:41 Shrimp fishing has long been a popular leisure activity in Taiwan.
00:45 There are numerous indoor ponds across the country,
00:48 usually on the outskirts of cities,
00:50 and people of all ages can be seen enjoying the local atmosphere.
00:54 People don't actually catch shrimp at these venues,
00:56 but prawns, mainly imported from Thailand.
00:59 These shellfish are much larger than their shrimp cousins.
01:02 They also have small claws that can give a painful pinch
01:05 if you're not careful getting the hook out of your catch.
01:08 The activity is considered a part of local culture,
01:10 something distinctly Taiwanese.
01:13 But as a sport, it's now moved beyond Taiwan's borders.
01:16 Shrimp fishing is a local culture in Taiwan.
01:18 The most competition is still in Taiwan.
01:21 Recently, there has been a competition in Hong Kong every week,
01:24 and in Singapore, there's been a lot of competition.
01:28 As the shrimping craze continues to gather momentum,
01:30 and competitors like Liao Kegang are able to make a lucrative career out of it,
01:35 this Taiwanese pastime is likely to get more and more people hooked around the world.
01:40 Yixin Chen and Jeremy Olivier for Taiwan Plus.
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