Seafood by Season in Taiwan — and the Gear That Catches It

Spring (March–May)

Japanese seabass

Season: peaks from spring into early summer. Character: fine, boneless flesh. Gear: longlines and nets; also farmed.

Flame shrimp

Season: most abundant March to May. Character: red-flecked shell and a crisp bite, a spring hotpot staple. Gear: mainly small trawls or benthic gear.

Swimming crab

Season: spring, before mating, when the roe is richest. Character: fine, sweet meat, best steamed. Gear: crab pots or bottom trawls, which keep the crab intact.

Horse mackerel

Season: peaks from late spring into early summer. Character: moderately oily, good salt-grilled or cured. Gear: purse seines or gill nets.

Oyster

Season: February to June. Character: large and sweet, the heart of oyster omelette, soups and grills. Gear: raised on floating rafts and stone beds for steady supply and quality.

Summer (June–August)

Mahi-mahi

Season: migrates in numbers from July to September. Character: firm and full-flavoured, good pan-fried, grilled or as steaks. Gear: longlines and trawls, mostly landed on the east coast.

Taiwan spiny lobster

Season: summer is the main fishery. Character: large, with sweet, springy meat for banquets and fine dining. Gear: pots or free diving, which keeps it alive and in condition.

Sand crab

Season: summer, the beach spawning season and the main fishery. Character: thin shell, plenty of meat and rich roe, good braised or steamed. Gear: taken by hand or with simple traps.

Sea urchin

Season: peaks from July to around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Character: rich, smooth roe with high nutritional value. Gear: hand-collected by divers, protecting both quality and the seabed.

Autumn (September–November)

Marbled rockfish

Season: at its best in autumn. Character: small and flavourful, a familiar pan-fried fish in Taiwanese homes. Gear: coastal set nets and shore angling.

Mud crab

Season: fattest from September to November. Character: females heavy with roe, a favourite autumn restorative. Gear: usually pots, which keep the crab whole.

Grass shrimp

Season: both wild and farmed shrimp peak in autumn. Character: plump and springy, a staple of stir-fries and grills. Gear: pond harvesting or small bottom trawls.

Winter (December–February)

Japanese Spanish mackerel

Season: November to February. Character: rich and firm, a favourite for new-year meals. Gear: mainly gill nets and set nets along the south-west coast.

Grey mullet

Season: winter, during the spawning migration. Character: the roe (karasumi) is prized and the flesh is clean and firm. Gear: mainly set nets, chiefly in the south-east.

Kuruma prawn

Season: sweetest when the water is cold. Character: a large prawn with springy meat, common in hotpot and teppanyaki. Gear: both wild-caught and semi-open farmed, so supply is steady.

Different methods call for different netting: trawls, purse seines, gill nets, set nets and cage nets all differ in mesh, twine diameter, material and float/sinker arrangement. Talk to us if you need gear specified around your method and target species.