Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou has promised to develop bluefin tuna fish farms off the coast of the southernmost county of Pingtung, which will boost the industry and at the same time help to conserve the species.

Ma made the promise Sunday and said at the Pingtung Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival in Donggang township that Taiwan has the highest bluefin tuna production in the world, but in view of the increasing global importance attached to conservation of the fish species, he will ask the Council of Agriculture and the Pingtung County government to build tuna fish farms as soon as possible.

Ma also noted that despite the global financial crisis, the H1N1 flu outbreak and the onslaught of Typhoon Morakot last year, the number of visitors to Pintung reached a record high of 4.4 million in 2009, a 14.3 percent increase since 2008.

With greater effort, the number of tourists could break the 5 million mark this year, Ma said, adding that the he hopes the county and the Tourism Bureau can do more in this area.

Ma was responding to a call by Pingtung Magistrate Tsao Chi-hung at the opening of the festival for the COA to help the county develop the technology of net-cage tuna farming on its Hsiao Liuchiu Island.

Tsao said that thanks to the festival, the number of visitors to the county increased to 300,000 last year from 80,000 five years ago. He pledged to work to turn Donggang into a water capital that would attract more stayover visitors.