In recent years, Taiwan's government agencies have embraced the trend of releasing year-end calendars as a way to connect with the public. What began as traditional, boldly coloured Chinese-style calendars has gradually evolved into stylish editions that reflect each ministry's unique character. Hand-illustrated versions in particular have had people rushing to register for one, and they've even become coveted prizes at year-end office raffles. This approach to blending policy messaging with everyday life has quietly helped the public understand the ideas the government hopes to promote.
Toward the end of 2020, alongside the Ocean Conservation Administration's usual release of its 2021 calendar, the Fisheries Agency — the body overseeing Taiwan's fisheries policy — also launched a hand-illustrated calendar of its own. However, the calendar contained a number of misidentified species, and the agency's subsequent public response drew widespread attention. The calendar ended up becoming a sought-after curiosity that people were scrambling to get their hands on — almost certainly not the outcome the Fisheries Agency had in mind when it was published.
Below, we've compiled several examples of errors identified by the Taiwan Sustainable Fisheries Development Association. Put your eyes to the test — can you spot what's wrong?
Spot the Difference: What's Off About the Fish in This Calendar?
Test your eyes — who exactly is this?
The red snapper commonly found along the Northeast Coast — can you tell the difference between these two?
Hmm… this one is genuinely tricky for the average person.
This looks like a classic Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V mix-up — the kind of mistake that happens all the time in reports.
First time we've ever seen a field guide use a food photo as the reference image!! Truly one of a kind.
Bigfin Reef Squid VS Tiger-Patterned cuttlefish
Admittedly, some of the examples above are genuinely difficult for non-specialists. But the one below? That shouldn't trip up any diver who regularly dives along the Northeast Coast. Sure, telling apart cuttlefish, squid, and various other cephalopods can be a real challenge — but surely you can't mix up bigfin reef squid and tiger-patterned cuttlefish!
Guess who I am~
The Fisheries Agency calendar labels this as "bigfin reef squid"?!?!
Bigfin reef squid, cuttlefish, or flower cuttlefish — hopelessly confused
Errata happen in publications all the time — that's nothing new. But what is remarkable is that the Fisheries Agency, an authority responsible for managing the nation's fishery resources, responded to public feedback by issuing a formal press release asking people to stop commenting. That's a crisis management and public relations lesson that clearly needs to be retaken. A simple correction notice acknowledging the errors and committing to improvements would have been enough to weather this storm. Well… bureaucracy will be bureaucracy.
Fisheries Policy, as Told by a Press Release
After reading an official press release like this, it's suddenly no wonder Taiwan's fisheries policy moves at a snail's pace.
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