■ Tzu-Jen Lee

Everybody know that eating fish is good fo our healt, but where we can eat freshest fishes? Of course is the originate places! Under the government policy of 'one town one characteristic product' by governemntal agricultural department, fish products are also combined with the local culture, cuisines, tourism etc., to create a popular fishproduct. The popularity of fish products can also bring popularity of the local place, such as Dongguan cherry shrimp, bluefin tuna, Penghu cobia, Tainan milk fish and more. People who like to eat delicious grouper now has another place to go, that is Yung-an fish direct sale center.

At West coastline of Kaohsiung County there is a small town -- Yung-an, the local name is meaning blessing safety and good health forever. This small town only has 21.5634 square kilometer land area, around 14 thousand residents and divided into 6 villages, which are Yung-an, Yung-hua, Baowning, Weishing, Shingguan and Yenten. Because it is at West coast of Taiwan straits, the Hsingta fishing harbor and Jaiding town as the north side line, connect with Luju town at East North, Gangshan town as the East South neibourhood, Mituo town and A-gon-den river as the South side line. The special geographical location, which attracted Taiwan electricity, ROC petrol companies come to town to establish factories. Although it create the local economical and industrial developement, however it cannot avoid to distroy and cause impacts on the enviroment. But the local people does not affraid of any difficulties, still utilise the local sea water that has suitable amount of salt and successfully breed delicious mangrove red snapper, milk fish and grouper, create a town that has freshest fish to eat everyday and blassing safety and good health forever.

In order to promote, popularize the grouper fishes of Yung-an town, the Yung-an council and Yung-an fishermen association has hold the 1st Yung-an town grouper culture festival activity at last year October. The cuisines are designes were done by the town's large restuaran chef, according to the characteristic of groupers, the designed dishes were includes grouper with shark fin, oyster sauce and threaded spring onion with grouper, grouper rolls, grouper mince steaks, 3 cups flavor grouper stomach, soy sauce stew five threads with grouper, grouper seafood pot and more, total 10 delicious dishes, a thousand visitors came to eat, and all gives good accomplishments for the delicious fish. With unforgetable good impression, many people wonder where can buy the grouper fish after the festival. Therefore, the delegate person of Youn-an fishermen Association established fish farm at the end of March, which is directly provid fish goods under the support of the council of the town and the fishermen association. The fish farm was established in the sense of needs of serving the town people, handy for resident and tourist to buy the products. By setting common price for selling, and use the Yung-an gouper direct sale center to encourage gouper fish industry, handinees for people to buy and local development. The director of the direct sales center said "Groupers that comes directly from fish farm guarantees its freshness, prices are also cheeper than market price, people are welcome to buy just one or two, or order as a large amount. The place are also help customers handle the food so customers can take home and cook straight way, which is very handy, and whats more is this additional service do not charge any additional fees.

Since the 80's, groupers are counted as the high quality economical fish kind, banquet with a grouper dish on the table with is very honorable for the host, and is also the honor of the customers. After the gradually successful of artificial breeding, the price of the groupers have decreased slightly, but still as is in the top list of breeding fish kinds. Grouper is belongs the Serranidae family, its wild grouper spread all over the world worm sea water coastline areas, like to habitat at coastline reefs, coral gaps, hide in the caves during daytime, and use night time for hunting. They have a name as 'Underwater cave kings', because they are savage and cruel. At year 1976, the Yung-an town Shingun village fishermen have introduced 3000 grouper younglings from Penghu for testing breed, the successful record has increase their confident and start breeding as large amount. At first, the fish younglings are all came from Penghu, then at Taiwan Island coastline were also start to net the fish younglings, but because of demand over supply, at the time there were even imported fish younglings from East South Asia for breeding. During the period, it had create the grouper price as high as NT$400 per 600g, after that Taiwan artificial breeding technology has improved continuously. Now, the grouper breeding period need a year, but because the salt density of the Yung-an breeding see water is higher, so the growth of the grouper is slower, andd the meat is more delicious and tastes better compare with other grouper breedings. The Yung-an direct sales center was start open at March 25th, at the 1st open day, many people come to congratulate, buying the fish and many tourists, the director was very happy and touched, "To provide a fish market place for people who like grouper fish, provide local fishermen direct sale center to increase fish products selling oppertunity and promote the fish village's industry, serve the publics, fishermen is the aim of the direct sales center. After this, we will combine the effort of local fishermen to develope the center further more." he said.

The Yung-an direct sales center is allocate at the old Yung-an fishermen association (Yung-an town, Shingun village, Shinshing Rd), the main fish good is the grouper from local fish farm. Furthermore, because in order to serve customers and tourists, the director also provide fish products that has good reputation, such as Choew shrimp roll, Pingrung BBQ eel, Donggung squid ball and more. The service line of the direct center: 07-6912031, wellcome anyone order the product.

If you want come Yung-an, tack the coastline freeway and follow along the high smockstack at the beach, there are signs for guiding way into Yung-an town. The beautiful coastline, fish farms nearby the beach and the red forest environment area are all worth to go for sight seen. Then visit the factories of Taiwan electricity or ROC petrol industries, costruct a contrust but coexists in the same area. Feeling the simple but invincable characteristics of local fishermen, like the feeding groupers, strong but with fine, delicious meet, worth for you to taste slowly and carefully. The Yung-an grouper fish direct sales center truelly welcome you to visit. （Tzu-Jen Lee／Taiwan area fisheries industry broadcast program host)

Picture：
Yung-an grouper fish direct sales center allocated at old place of fishermen association, serve day and night. （Take by Shue-Yuan She）

The grouper is divided according its body size in different aqua boxes, keep in sea water, guarantees it freshness.

How good is the taste of the grouper? well, just look at the photo and u will know.

The director of the grouper direct sales center, very happy during the 1st open day.

The grouper that kept in the aqua boxes.