The hunters waded into the water after dark, their headlamps beaming as they tossed nets into the crashing waves over and over again.

All night, they shook muck from the nets, sorting out their prizes: wriggling, transparent baby eels, each no thicker than a vermicelli noodle. They were worth their weight in gold, or nearly. The fishermen dropped them into jars of water, which some of them hung around their necks on string.

“Sometimes it’s gold, sometimes it’s dirt,” said Dai Chia-sheng, who for a decade had spent his winters fishing for glass eels, as the baby eels are called. Brought in by the ocean currents every year, the eels had lured families like Mr. Dai’s to Taiwan’s coasts for generations.

But the lure is fading.

Text by Amy Chang Chien and Tiffany May

Full Story

In Taiwan’s Waters, a Hunt for Tiny, Wriggling ‘Gold’

A boat at sea at night with a bright light illuminating the water behind it, creating a trail of light in the water.
A person in waterproof gear, including a headlamp, stands in the water at night, holding a surfboard with a fishing net attached, with large waves crashing in the background.
Person in a hoodie walking into the ocean at night, creating a splash with waves illuminated by blue lighting.
A person seated inside a makeshift shelter on a dark beach with stormy sky, wearing rain gear and looking at a device, with three small colorful beach huts and the ocean in the background.
A person wearing a raincoat and boots on a beach at night with a large fishing net. The scene is illuminated by blue lighting, creating a moody, surreal atmosphere.
Three people assemble a makeshift tent on a dark, muddy beach with stormy skies. In the background, there are additional tents and debris scattered on the sand.
Three people inside a makeshift tent at night, illuminated by a small light, with a dark cloudy sky and silhouettes of poles outside.
A person wearing green boots and green pants, carrying a backpack, walking on a dark, debris-covered beach under cloudy skies, with the ocean and distant island in the background.
Workers handling eels in a fish farm facility with tanks, orange buckets, and equipment.
Two workers in a fish processing facility standing over a large container of fish. One worker is wearing a mask, apron, and head covering, while the other is looking down at the fish as water splashes.
Person slicing grilled eel on a white rectangular plate, soy sauce in a bowl nearby, chopsticks, tongs, empty plates, and a salt shaker on a wooden table.
Multiple fish swimming in dark, deep water.
People collecting debris from a shoreline at night, with five individuals using flashlights, two near the water, one kneeling on the ground, and two standing, illuminated by their flashlights and a spotlight, with city lights in the background.
A person on a boat at night, using a flashlight to work on the boat, with a light source illuminating their face and hands. The scene is dark, with only the person's activity and boat parts visible.
A person working on equipment on the beach at night, with a person in the water and a sunset in the background.