【 A Calendar You Must Own at Least Once in Your Lifetime 】 Fisheries Agency Blunders + Bureaucracy = A Question Mark Over Taiwan's Fisheries Policy?

In recent years, it has become fashionable for Taiwan's government agencies to release year-end calendars as a way of connecting with the public. What once were traditional, boldly coloured Chinese-style calendars have gradually evolved into style-forward editions that reflect each ministry's unique character. Hand-illustrated versions in particular have people scrambling to register for them — some have even become coveted prizes at year-end office parties. This approach of weaving policy messaging into everyday life quietly helps the public understand the ideas the government is trying to promote.

Toward the end of 2020, in addition to the Ocean Conservation Administration releasing its customary 2021 calendar, the Fisheries Agency — the body responsible for overseeing Taiwan's fisheries policy — also published a hand-illustrated calendar. The content, however, not only mixed up various species, but the agency's subsequent public response drew widespread attention. The calendar ended up becoming a sought-after collector's item that people were actively trying to get their hands on — almost certainly not what the Fisheries Agency had in mind when it first issued it.

Below, we have compiled several errors flagged by the Taiwan Association for Sustainable Seafood (TASS). Put your eyes to the test — can you spot what's wrong?

Spot the Difference: What's Not Quite Right About the Fish in This Calendar?

Bigfin Reef Squid vs. Pharaoh Cuttlefish

To be fair, some of the questions above are genuinely difficult for members of the public with no specialist background. But the one below? That should be no problem at all for divers who frequent the Northeast Coast. Sure, telling apart cuttlefish, squid, and bobtail squid can be tricky — but confusing bigfin reef squid with pharaoh cuttlefish? That really shouldn't happen!

Errata happen in publications all the time — that's not the real issue. The problem is that the Fisheries Agency, as the government body entrusted with managing the nation's fisheries resources, chose to respond to public feedback by issuing a formal press release essentially telling people to stop commenting. That's a crisis-management and public-relations strategy that clearly needs a serious rethink. All it would have taken was a simple correction notice — acknowledge the errors, explain what went wrong, and commit to doing better — and this could have blown over quietly. Oh well... bureaucracy will be bureaucracy～～～

Fisheries Policy in a Press Release

Further reading:

• Taiwan Association for Sustainable Seafood (TASS)

• Is the Justice You Believe In Really Justice? The Sacrifice of the manta ray and the Lesson It Teaches Us

• Watching manta rays Abroad Is Highly Valued — So Why Do Taiwanese Fishermen Still Catch and Sell Them? A Change of Perspective for a Fuller Understanding of Fisheries Policy

• Marine Citizen Scientists Using Underwater Photography to Support Marine Conservation and Fundamental Research

• The Live-Action Little Mermaid Poster Is Out — "Freshwater Fish Swimming in the Atlantic?!" What Movie Posters Teach Us About Ocean Literacy

• Mackerel and Horse Mackerel Are Shrinking, Silver Pomfret Down to Just 6 cm! Fearing Ecological Imbalance, Environmental Groups Push to Fast-Track the Marine Conservation Act