Understanding the social constructions of the ocean by modern Taiwan's fisheries

ABSTRACT

Following the Steinbergist Classification and the theory of territorial political economy, this paper aims to interpret the social constructions of the ocean by modern Taiwan’s near-shore, near-sea, and deep-sea fisheries and to demonstrate a thesis that the social construction of the ocean can influence the related material organisation of society and the geographical condition of the ocean. Overfishing and declining fishery production were the problems caused by the fisheries’ constructions of the ocean, affecting Taiwan’s material organisation of the fishing industries and the geographical condition of the ocean. Additionally, the fishing industries between 1949 and 2016 were critical for the marine-related economy of Taiwan. Interpreting and classifying the fisheries’ constructions of the ocean will illuminate and register the core experiences. This paper suggests that near-shore fishery constructed the ocean in accordance with the Indian Ocean Model; near-sea fishery initially followed the same path until, in the 1980s and 1990s, it absorbed elements of the Seldenian Variation; and deep-sea fishery constructed the ocean in consistence with the Indian Ocean Model but had incorporated elements of the Seldenian Variation by the late 1970s and early 1980s. Moreover, deep-sea fishery then also assimilated elements of the Grotian Variation in the mid-2000s.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the editor Professor Marcus Haward very much for his clear guidance of revision for this paper. I am also thankful for the comments and advice of the two anonymous referees. I also appreciate Professor Nigel Nien-tsu Li’s care for the writing and publication of this paper. Nonetheless, I am solely responsible for any mistake this paper may have committed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In this paper, I follow Hou (2014, 2017, 2020) and label Steinberg’s (2001) classification of the social constructions of the ocean as ‘the Steinbergist Classification’.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kuang-hao Patrick Hou

Kuang-hao Patrick Hou is an Associate Professor at the Department of Ocean and Border Governance, National Quemoy University. He attempts to understand the politics of maritime and ocean affairs of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland through concepts and theories of historical sociology and political geography.