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Aquaculture insiders say green energy industry rather than fish farmers driving initiative
 Jun. 27, 2026 11:36
A worker cleans a solar fishery project site. (CNA photo)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s fishery and electricity symbiosis initiative is one of the headline policies for its green energy transformation.
There are two types of facilities: ground-based and indoor, per Agrijourney. Ground-based facilities must be set up in designated symbiosis project areas on existing fisheries. Solar panels cannot cover more than 40% of the pond area and are often built directly on reservoirs or along embankments to avoid disrupting cultivation.
For indoor facilities, panels are constructed on the roofs of fisheries and can cover up to 80% of the structure. However, roof-based facilities must obtain an aquaculture license before connecting to Taipower’s grid.
After more than five years, the symbiosis project has produced some positive results. Taya Green Energy Technology announced on June 17 that its nationwide solar farm capacity totaled 207 megawatts, with over 68 roof and ground solar farms in operation, per NOWNews.
Jhih-guang Energy Corp., a subsidiary of Taya Green Energy Technology, secured an aquaculture license for its symbiosis project in Tainan’s Cigu District. The 85-megawatt facility marks the first major project to secure licenses for all its fish farms.
Located in the same area, HD Renewable Energy helped transform abandoned fish farms into solar aquaculture projects, attracting visits from former Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Rokhmin Dahuri and a delegation from the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, per UP Media. HD Renewable Energy established Star Aquaculture to handle farming operations, developing and sharing expertise in solar fish farming.
Further north in Chiayi County, Taiwan Cement Corp. subsidiary Chia-chian Green Energy Corp., alongside sustainable tour organizer Walk in Taiwan, organized trips to its fish farms and surrounding villages, per UDN. Chia-chian highlighted the rich fishing and sea-salt harvesting history in Budai and Yijhu townships, noting that modern aquaculture techniques have drawn younger generations back into aging communities.
These projects were cited in a joint statement by seven major Taiwanese photovoltaic business associations as shining examples of the fishery-electricity initiative, per UDN. The statement urged the public not to judge the industry too harshly by a few bad examples, stressing that the sector is committed to raising fish and perfecting associated techniques.
The statement followed remarks from TPP Tainan Branch Chair Chiang Ming-tsung (江明宗), who highlighted a series of stalled solar fishery projects along the Tainan coast, per China Times. Chiang suggested the sites were operated by the initiative’s largest developer, noting they faced major funding issues after the government changed the initiative’s rules.
Environmental groups pointed out in 2022 that although indoor solar fisheries require more upfront capital than outdoor ones, their lower risk and more controllable environment make them far more favorable to developers, per Taiwan Wild Bird Federation. However, these groups warned that the heavier impact of indoor facilities on local ecosystems, combined with exemptions from environmental or societal impact reviews, means scaled-up development could spiral out of control and cause severe damage to both the environment and the aquaculture sector.
Ark Group woes
While Chiang did not name the operator, the photos he displayed showed banners criticizing businessperson Chen Yung-lun (陳永倫), former chair of major solar fishery developer Ark International Co., per the Reporter. The Ark Group, which once consisted of Ark International Co., Ark Solar Energy Co., and Ark Aquaculture Co., splintered into three separate entities after Ark Solar Energy’s financial troubles became public.
Then-Ark Solar Energy CEO Li Kuang-hui (李光輝) suggested in 2025 that the government’s new requirement to prove operational aquaculture before grid integration delayed project timetables across the board by at least 18 months, per AgriJourney News. He stressed this policy change had a knock-on effect, damaging their ability to secure additional funding.
The policy shift attempted to rectify what solar-fishery expert Yeh Hsin-li (葉信利) identified as a core flaw in the initiative: the failure of operators to scale up fisheries to match solar expansion, per AgriJourney News. Taipower previously allowed indoor facilities to connect to its grid before producing actual aquaculture output, leading to the issues described by Yeh.
Ark Group’s struggles extend beyond policy changes. Before entering the industry, the group had no aquaculture experience, reflected in development costs of NT$4,000 to NT$6,000 ($126 to $189 USD) per kilowatt of output — roughly double the industry average.
Fish farmers, the supposed focus of the initiative, also had little input on the construction of symbiosis facilities. National Chiayi University Aqua Biosciences Professor Kuo Chien-hsien (郭建賢) observed that while the team at Ark Aquaculture genuinely tried to work with the hands they were dealt, their lack of input resulted in indoor fisheries that are less resilient to extreme weather patterns than traditional outdoor ponds.
Aquaculture Development Association CEO Hou Yen-lung (侯彥隆) suggested that Ark Group’s setbacks reflect an industry-wide trend prioritizing solar panel installation over fishery output. This priority explains why the National Audit Office discovered in 2025 that roughly 70% of symbiosis projects generated electricity but produced no aquaculture output.
A further examination by the Reporter in March revealed that projects representing roughly 96% of the total solar fishery initiative output capacity failed to adhere to the fishery operation plans submitted to authorities. For Taiwan to reach its 2026 solar energy capacity goal, roughly half of the required 4.53 gigawatts must come from the symbiosis initiative.
Same old issues
The fishery and electricity symbiosis initiative appears to be repeating the path of another renewable energy push, the Agro-Photovoltaics initiative. Launched in 2013, agro-photovoltaics aimed to boost renewable energy output by incorporating solar farms into traditional agricultural land, per AgriJourney.
Scandals involving agro-photovoltaic farms producing little to no crops became rampant, leading the agriculture ministry to tighten rules, eventually limiting ground solar facilities to aquaculture sites and areas unsuitable for agricultural developments, per AgriJourney News. A major issue identified in that model was prioritizing solar output over agricultural output or profitability, such as pushing for mushroom cultivation in climate-controlled facilities despite an inability to compete with cheaper smuggled imports.
Longtime saltwater tilapia farmer Tseng Chin-chuan (曾錦川) understands the difficulty of turning a profit under new conditions, noting that panels installed over pools can interfere with heavy machinery and disrupt algae growth, per the Reporter. While he found workarounds, the unstable output of solar fisheries deters him from expanding his participation.
Tseng also noted that for a professional fish farmer like himself, who invests tens of millions of Taiwan dollars into annual operations, the small rental payouts have little appeal. He suggested that only landlords who do not raise fish find the terms enticing.
For clam farmer Tsai Chia-tsung (蔡嘉聰), the biggest draw was the prospect of receiving green energy funds to upgrade his pools, though that promise fell through. Although his output has since stabilized, Tsai experienced catastrophic losses during his first year under the initiative.
Currently, Tseng sees good results with his clams, whose pools are not covered by solar panels. He chose to raise milkfish and shrimp in the covered ponds, which remain a work in progress.
To Tsai, the core issue is whether aquaculture remains profitable, not whether fish can physically be raised under panels.
Administrative burden
Veteran fish farmer Chen Chiu-liang (陳秋涼) views the situation differently. As one of the top fish farmers working within Taya Green Energy Technology’s project, she noted that the fluctuating nature of aquaculture, combined with uneven pool quality, makes it difficult for many fish farmers to maintain the quotas required for solar installation.
Fish farmers must document that their farms are operational, including matching 70% of historical output before a solar farm is installed. Chen’s son, Chang Kao-wei (張高維), pointed out that the risk of cold snaps decimating their output remains unchanged after joining the initiative.
The administrative burden presents a new challenge. Logos International Corp. owner Kuo Cheng-yuan (郭程元) noted that in the past, the agriculture ministry gave fish farmers leeway, occasionally overlooking unpermitted structures on fish farms, per Business Today.
However, the rollout of the symbiosis initiative has made inspectors exceptionally strict. Kuo said that when working on a project in Tainan spanning over 50,000 square meters, he had to specify the areas smaller than 0.1 square meters taken up by power poles when writing up his reports.
An industry insider added that under the initiative, fish farmers must submit an operational plan for local government approval just to change the species they rear, disrupting their traditional practice of adjusting to climate and market shifts, per Business Today. The insider noted that if a fish farmer needs to take a brief hiatus to care for a sick spouse, the operator cannot allow it out of fear that the entire project will lose its license for lacking aquaculture output.
In 2024, the Chiayi County Government revoked the renewable energy permit for one of Chia-chian Green Energy Corp.’s projects in the county over what the county government believed was a lack of fishery output, per Storm Media. The root cause traces back to a lack of clear regulations in the early days of the initiative.
Fish farmer Chen Chin-mo (陳錦模) claimed structural changes made to his pools by the construction team made it impossible to raise fish, per AgriJourney News. Although Taiwan Cement’s team eventually succeeded in raising fish there, neighboring fish farmers noted the severe difficulties introduced by the installations.
Chen has since settled with Taiwan Cement, but the county government has not reissued the project’s license. Fish farmers and landlords have filed an administrative lawsuit against the county government, fearing substantial financial losses if ordered to restore the farms to their original states, per Storm Media.
Insiders noted that industry scandals have invited heavy prosecutorial scrutiny, leading civil servants to deliberately raise compliance standards to avoid legal trouble, per Business Today. A local government official explained that constant prosecutor interviews have had a chilling effect, arguing that the central government must provide clear guidelines and coordinate with local authorities to salvage the initiative.
Decoupling symbiosis
In an attempt to steer the initiative back on course, the central government reportedly plans to decouple solar farm operators from direct fishery output, per AgriJourney News. Under a proposed iteration, solar operators would only be required to design facilities suitable for aquaculture, with photovoltaic business associations participating in the review process.
During the operational phase, fishery management would be handed over to the Aquaculture Development Association and the Fisheries Agency, which would recruit professional fish farmers to take over. Solar operators would hold no long-term responsibility for aquaculture operations.
However, Aquaculture Development Association CEO Hou Yen-lung noted that during 2025 discussions, his association was asked to provide support rather than assume full operational control, which he felt was too heavy a responsibility. Chiayi County Aquaculture Development Association Chair Chen Hung-shuo (陳泓碩) noted that the original appeal of the initiative was using green energy funds to upgrade infrastructure and supplement aquaculture earnings with rent.
National Cheng Kung University Professor Huang Wei-ju (黃偉茹) argued that leasing land to green energy firms primarily benefits landlords rather than the community. She added that solar installations have neither assisted the aquaculture industry nor revitalized local areas.
Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) addressed these concerns, clarifying that the changes would allow solar operators and fish farmers to focus on their respective specialties rather than completely decoupling the two sectors, per UDN. He emphasized that the symbiosis project would maintain fishery operations as its cornerstone.
The Fisheries Agency echoed this view, saying that fish farmers retain input during facility construction and that green energy investments will flow into improving aquaculture operations, per CNA. These assurances followed remarks from Fisheries Agency Deputy Director Lou Tzu-chang (繆自昌), who suggested the aquaculture industry needs to modernize independently of the solar sector, arguing that funds earmarked for solar farms bear no inherent responsibility for fish production, per AgriJourney News.
The Fisheries Agency stressed the decoupling proposal remains under review.
Centering aquaculture
Faced with potential restructuring, fish farmers believe the only path forward is honoring the “aquaculture-first” principle of the initiative, per AgriJourney News. They note that treating symbiosis projects as power plants rather than fisheries naturally causes developers to maximize power generation profits while cutting infrastructure costs, increasing the difficulty of farming.
Fish farmer Lu Cheng-ta (呂政達) explained that symbiosis projects must be custom-tailored to individual fish farms, adapting to local conditions and intended species. He argued that developers’ efforts to modularize and standardize projects for rapid scaling run counter to the needs of the industry.
Award-winning fish farmer Huang Kuo-chi (黃國基) echoed this sentiment, recalling past symbiosis proposals that suggested raising saltwater species in freshwater environments and vice versa. For Huang, a fundamental principle should be enabling fish farms to sustain themselves rather than prioritizing power sales to Taipower.
Huang noted that during Typhoon Danas, his self-funded solar panels and energy storage system allowed his farm to weather the subsequent power outage. He argued that allowing fisheries to buy electricity back from Taipower at a discount instead of using their own generated power directly to offset high utility bills fails the definition of symbiosis.
Symbiosis initiative veteran Hsiao Yeh (小葉) argued that green energy firms should help shoulder losses incurred by fish farmers, given that managing a symbiosis farm requires entirely different skills than traditional aquaculture. He explained that operational expertise lags far behind the rapid expansion of solar panel installations.
Path forward
Despite the widespread friction, some projects offer a glimpse of a viable path forward.
To combat rising temperatures and flooding brought on by climate change, Pingtung County fish farmer Chiang Kun-lung (蔣坤龍) converted his outdoor grouper farm into a custom indoor facility tailored to his aquaculture needs, per Our Island. Chiang generates more revenue from his fish than from selling electricity, though the massive upfront capital investment and highly customized design mean his model may not be feasible for most independent fish farmers.
Tainan Beimen fish farmer Huang Kuo-liang (黃國良) is working to crack the code on how fisheries can efficiently operate under solar structures. He noted that many current projects cover only reservoirs to leave active fish ponds unobstructed, suggesting instead that research should focus on identifying species well-suited to the shaded environments beneath panels.
The biggest obstacle, Huang noted, is finding green energy firms genuinely willing to collaborate with fish farmers. Tainan Nanxun Aquaculture Production Association Chair Tsai A-yu (蔡阿玉) is tackling this issue by pushing for the first fish-farmer-led symbiosis project.
Tsai secured the backing of several local fish farmers and partnered with a cooperative green energy firm. However, the agriculture ministry’s 2025 decision to change the solar coverage rule — shifting the cap from 40% of the overall project area to a strict 40% limit per individual pond — stalled her project and invalidated the time, effort, and funds invested in her previous proposal.
Fish farmers note that with rising costs and competition from cheaper imports, the fishery-electricity symbiosis was seen as a vital lifeline. They believed consolidating fractured fisheries into larger entities would lower individual overhead while solar revenue would offset farming risks.
However, results so far have failed to create economies of scale or boost domestic production.  
Looking ahead
Rather than encountering novel issues, the obstacles facing Taiwan’s fishery and electricity symbiosis initiative largely mimic the failures of the earlier agro-photovoltaics push. The initiative was rushed to market without robust oversight or clear regulatory boundaries.
When faced with public backlash, the government tightened rules abruptly, penalizing active participants. Fish farmers, green energy firms, and local officials have all been caught in the fallout of initial mismanagement.
Nevertheless, cases like Chiang Kun-lung’s grouper farm and Huang Kuo-chi’s resilient fishery demonstrate that when facilities are custom-tailored to aquaculture first, they can successfully raise fish while providing a buffer against extreme weather driven by climate change. 
When a symbiosis project genuinely centers on aquaculture, it works.
As agricultural authorities decide how the next iteration of the initiative will take shape, project leads like Tsai A-yu can only wait. What lingers on the minds of many fish farmers is whether the policy will mature into a truly symbiotic relationship or maintain what many currently view as a parasitic loop.
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Taiwan News, Staff Writer

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