Taiwan’s Pingtung Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival begins

台灣屏東藍鰭鮪文化節開幕

Huge crowds turn out for opening concert, speeches by county officials


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Pingtung Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival opened Saturday in Donggang Township with a performance by popular rock band Power Station and drew tens of thousands of visitors.

Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) presided over the event alongside members of the fishing vessel Mao Feng Xiang (茂豐祥號), which caught the season’s first bluefin tuna, and the first buyer, per CNA.

Chou said the tuna weighed 224 kg and sold for NT$2.3 million (US$74,000) at auction, or an average of NT$10,300 per kg. Since the start of the tuna season in April, 174 bluefin tuna have been caught, she said, with prices remaining high.

Now in its 25th year, the festival has become a major draw for domestic and international tourists. The celebration also helps promote development around the port and includes markets and events running through the first week of July.

Fisheries Agency Director-General Wang Mao-cheng (王茂城) said bluefin tuna is an internationally regulated species, and Taiwan complies with global conservation rules. Local fishers are aware of these conventions, and the government has introduced multiple policies to support sustainability and prevent overharvesting.

Local businesses have also backed the event, which draws crowds to the harbor and includes an outdoor market featuring local seafood and creative goods. For more information, visit the festival website.