Leveraging knowledge gaps in Taiwan’s fisheries: insights from bibliometric and qualitative analyses

Taiwan and many regions worldwide face labor shortages in the fisheries sector, mainly due to declining participation among young adults and an aging population of fishers. To address this issue and ensure the sustainable management of fishery resources, advancements in fishery technology are essential. Despite Taiwan’s global reputation for innovative technology, the small size of its fishery technology and research market has resulted in limited support from advanced technology industries, and most fishery-related equipment and research instruments must be imported. In this study, we utilized content analysis, bibliometric analysis, and qualitative research methods to systematically organize academic reports and fishing data from the past decade. The aim was to assess the potential application of emerging technologies in marine fisheries sustainability research. We identified research gaps in this field through data comparison, and we conducted interviews to gain deeper insights into the current status of sustainable fisheries and the challenges faced by fishers, researchers, and technology companies. Our bibliometric study findings revealed that coastal fisheries are represented in the most studies, followed by distant-water and offshore fishing. However, the number of studies does not correspond to the ranking of fishing output. In qualitative interviews, respondents anticipated the future integration of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies in the fisheries sector. Nevertheless, such efforts face challenges related to instrument maintenance, funding, education levels, and technical support. This study aims to fill existing research gaps and further promote the sustainable development of marine fishery resources.