Taiwan’s agricultural biotechnology industry is flourishing, and its breeding techniques of ornamental aquatic animals are leading the world. There are a large number of breeding farms in southern Taiwan, which becomes an important production and sale base. Located in Pingtung, the Asia-Pacific Operation Center for Aquaculture of the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park (PABP), built by the Council of Agriculture (COA), was officially opened on November 1. COA Minister Chen Bao-ji presided and declared its operation, showing the government’s determination to promote the nation’s ornamental aquatic industry into internationalization. In order to shorten the time of service and quarantine, COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine establishes the Pingtung Inspection Station. In addition, to provide the stationed companies with electronic integration services, the PABP establishes the agricultural value-added cloud platform which, opened at the same day, aims to help the companies accelerate the enhancement of the enterprise competitiveness.

　With a view to develop the nation’s ornamental aquatic animals and their peripheral industries, PABP ‘s Asia-Pacific Operation Center for Aquaculture is equipped with 18 professional standard plants, breeding technical service center, import and export warehouse, ornamental aquatic animal international transit center, and ornamental aquatic animal exhibition and trade center. Moreover, the Pingtung Inspection Station of Kaohsiung Branch of COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Agricultural Science Laboratory of COA’s Animal Health Research Institute, and Jianan Branch of Kaohsiung Customs of Customs Administration of Ministry of Finance are also stationed in the Operation Center, providing the companies with immediate and comprehensive services. The Operation Center is a comprehensive production and sale settlement with functions of breeding, reproduction, innovation, quarantine, inspection, customs clearance, warehouse, logistics, cargo, transport, display and trade. Ornamental aquatic animals are the world’s third-largest pet following dogs and cats and have a strong potential market demand. The 10 companies currently stationed in the Operation Center are all export-oriented. They link surrounding satellite fish farms to supply and peripheral industries as a way to effectively expand the global market share. It is estimated to generate the production value of the ornamental aquatic sector more than NT$1 billion annually. Certainly Taiwan will become the core country of the world’s delicate aquatic breeding industry.

　PABP ‘s Asia-Pacific Operation Center for Aquaculture offers seawater, soft freshwater and hard freshwater, and regularly monitors water quality daily, weekly and quarterly. The waste water is collectively treated by PABP’s sewage treatment plant. Its aquatic professional standard plants are equipped with complete facilities, such as quarantine, breeding, cargo, office and living areas. Thus, the Operation Center is suitable to be an enterprise’s global headquarter. Along with PABR’s quarantine control, it constructs controllable environments of bio-safety. Moreover, the companies stationed inside the Operation Center can enjoy advantages of PABR’s quick inspection, quarantine, clearance and export. They can import foreign aquatic animals for the purpose of international transport operation. Also supported by the nation’s outstanding breeding techniques of aquatic animals, they can import brood fish and develop new varieties in the PABR. After the ability of taking plural orders is strengthened, international buyers can enjoy one-stop shopping in Taiwan. The goal is to grasp considerable business opportunities of the global ornamental fish market.

　In order to provide better services to all of the companies stationed in the PABR, the Kaohsiung Branch of COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine established the Pingtung Inspection Station to extend service area, shorten the time of paperwork and quarantine, effectively improve service performance, and further enhance those companies’ operational competitiveness. The agricultural value-added cloud platform is an e-service platform built by the PABR for the development of adding value to the industry. Through this platform, the stationed companies can use bonding management, electronic account book, quality control, clearance check and aquatic animal control. It facilitates all applications online and shortens the time of Taiwan’s excellent products entering the international markets, which fulfills the goal of injecting new business development momentum into the companies stationed in the Asia-Pacific Operation Center for Aquaculture.