茄萣區自來民風純樸,本地居民的日常生活以漁業為主,不論是海上捕魚或是滋養魚塭養蝦、養魚,都是以漁業為主要的生活目標。而烏魚業更是其生活重心,從荷蘭時代到明清時代,每當烏魚汛期來臨時,便是茄萣地方之大事,筆者有鑑於此,注意到此一特殊現象,便吸引了我寫作此文的動機。想記錄地方的歷史之緣由,往往與自己的生活命脈相關聯,烏魚便是與俗民生活習習相關的重要信魚。如果說上天有厚德,它便是魚民們得自上天的恩典。寫它是在於它之於漁民們是重要生活津貼來源。而本區的海業加工,尤其以烏魚子遠近馳名。也許經由此論文可以一窺烏魚之產業文化和它帶給茄萣地方的民生富足感。
The people of Chie‐din district are simple, honest, and unspoiled. Their daily life focuses on either offshore fishing or aquaculture‐‐‐the farming of shrimps and fish, thus making fishery to be the main goal in life. Mullet industry plays the most important part for the people there. From Dutch period to Ming‐chin period, whenever the mullet‐visiting season approached, locals had to be highly prepared and busy for the most profitable time of the year. In light of this unique phenomenon, the purpose of this essay aims to document the history of the mullet industry as well as depict its influence on the people in the area. Mullet's annual visit may well be regarded as a blessing from God to the local residents who make extra money out of mullet industry. Today, Chie‐din is well‐known for its seafood processing, especially mullet roe, therefore this essay hopes to lively portray the sense of richness among the locals.