海釣和船釣是困難度較高的釣魚活動，也是寶熊企業精神的由來：Rising with every challenge(每一次拋投都是挑戰)。

2024.11.16

改變台灣釣魚文化的推手－寶熊漁具

Rising with every challenge-The Brand that Reshaped Taiwan’s Fishing Culture

「人生就像釣魚，每次拋投都是挑戰。」寶熊漁具憑藉釣魚人在海上拼搏的精神，30年間，從小小台灣企業，躋身全球釣具前三強。營收9成來自海外，寶熊仍心繫家鄉，成立漁樂碼頭推廣海洋教育、邀集產業夥伴打造友善釣魚環境。只因寶熊認為：「做到全球前三大，我有責任改變台灣的釣魚文化。」

　　「天啊！這條魚也太重了吧！」上百台斤的力量不斷向下拖行，將玻璃纖維製成的軟竿拉成彎月狀，不分男女、大夥伴齜牙咧嘴，跟螢幕中的巨鯰奮力搏鬥。但釣魚可不能只靠蠻力，必須仰賴捲線器「剎車」穩住釣竿，釣友一邊拔河、一邊調整力道，消耗大魚的體力才可能成功。

　　這處超逼真的虛擬釣場位於台中潭子，由全球Top 3的釣竿和捲線器製造商寶熊漁具10幾年前斥資上億，打造全球唯一的「寶熊漁樂碼頭」，館內不僅介紹漁類及海洋知識，還有各種釣魚體驗，不必出海也能實際感受。

　　走進「寶熊漁樂碼頭」園區，第一眼就看到巨無霸釣魚機，讓親子遊客體驗釣魚的快感，還能DIY魚拓明信片、學習製作魚飼料、動手做釣竿‧‧‧‧‧‧透過這些體驗活動，了解四面環海的台灣，擁有哪些豐富的海洋資源，藉此培養民眾對環境永續的認知。

　　「寶熊漁樂碼頭」成立十多年來，年年虧損，為何堅持繼續營運？董事長張良任說，是為了改變台灣的釣魚文化。「寶熊的市場超過九成在海外，來自台灣的營收僅不到一成。如果從營收穫利的角度來看，會覺得很傻。不過，今天寶熊已經做到全球第三，回頭看看家鄉，我覺得我有責任扭轉台灣的釣魚文化。」

    “Wow! This fish is too heavy!” Hundreds of pounds of force are pulling downward, bending the fiberglass rod into a crescent. Men and women alike are gritting their teeth, struggling against the giant catfish on screen. But fishing requires more than brute strength; it also relies on the reel’s drag system to stabilize the rod. Anglers must engage in a tug-of-war with the fish, adjusting force to wear it out before they can reel it in successfully.

    This ultra-realistic virtual fishing ground is located in Tanzih, Taichung and is part of the global-first fishing theme park "Okuma Center". Registered as a tourism factory, it was built over a decade ago by the world’s top fishing rod and reel brand Okuma Fishing Tackle Group. With a multi-million-dollar investment, Okuma created an experience where people can fish without going out to sea and can quickly get the hang of it, even without prior experience.

    Entering the "Okuma Center" complex, visitors are greeted by a giant fishing simulator. Families can not only experience the thrill of fishing but also make their own fish print postcards, learn to make fish food, try their hand at crafting fishing rods, and gain environmental sustainability knowledge about Taiwan’s rich marine resources.

    Operating at a loss every year since its establishment over a decade ago, why does Okuma Center continue to serve hundreds of thousands of visitors annually? Charles Chang, Chairman of Okuma says it's to transform Taiwan's fishing culture. "Over 90% of Okuma’s market is overseas, with less than 10% revenue from Taiwan. From business perspective, it seems foolish to maintain Okuma Center. But I feel I have a responsibility to change Taiwan’s fishing culture now that Okuma becomes the world's third-largest fishing gear brand.”

寶熊在漁樂碼頭內打造的巨型虛擬釣魚機，讓民眾體驗與巨型魚類拼鬥的感受。

In Western countries and Japan, fishing is a very common leisure activity and serves as a bridge for strengthening parent-child relationships. Once, during a business trip to the United States, Charles Chang visited a client, who excitedly told him about plans to take his six-year-old son fishing for the first time that coming weekend - something both father and son had been looking forward to for a long time. In the US, the recreational fishing population reaches 60 million, exceeding the combined population of golf and tennis players. There are also 30,000 to 50,000 local and touring tournaments each year, representing a significant economic scale. In contrast, fishing culture never flourished in Taiwan due to martial law in earlier years which prohibited civilians from approaching the coastline. Fishing spots were insufficient, the overall fishing environment was unfriendly; anglers have also long carried the stigma of being environmental destroyers.

To make a change, Okuma adopted a two-pronged strategy: providing fishing and marine knowledge to K9 students in Okuma Center; on the other hand, improving fishing environments by collaborating with civilian groups and governments to open up and renovate fishing spots. Okuma also established Taiwan Fishing Tackle Association, organized annual fishing gear expo that attracts enthusiasts from home and abroad. All these efforts aim to change the broader environment and help more people correctly understand fishing activities.

With collaborative efforts from government, industry, and academia, Taiwan’s central government introduced the “Respect the Ocean”  initiative in 2020 to promote responsible fishing, complemented by opening 156 fishing spots nationwide. This has helped Taiwan’s fishing population grow from about 1 miilion to approximately 2.3 million in over a decade. Okuma's initiatives go beyond branding; it’s almost a social movement, embodying concrete ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices.

寶熊漁樂碼頭經常舉辦各種趣味活動，讓民眾深入了解海洋教育和釣魚知識。

國小學童參觀釣魚故事館，寶熊希望建立健康的釣魚文化，從小開始紮根。

    Today, the brand "Okuma" is widely recognized in the global fishing society, where it’s synonymous with high-end reels. Charles Chang, who initially worked in screen printing, loved fishing and defied the trend of Taiwanese industry offshoring by co-founding the company with NT$1 million in 1986.

    In its early days, the company focused on OEM orders, but Zhang realized pure OEM would not sustain the business. Thus, he created the Okuma brand: "Kuma" means "bear" in Japanese, while the "O" conveys admiration. He envisioned his brand as a polar bear, adept at catching fish and resilient against adversity. True to the brand spirit, Zhang continued accepting OEM orders while quietly developing his own products. His quality, affordable products began gaining traction in smaller markets, eventually attracting attention from major brands.

    With its continuous innovation and quality, Okuma cultivated a unique consumer base and eventually caught the attention of DAM, Germany’s largest fishing tackle brand at the time. This partnership boosted Okuma’s reputation, as they became a key OEM for DAM. Knowing the high product standards in Europe, Okuma gradually expanded the reach of its brand in the European market, raising concerns among German brands about losing exclusivity.

    To mitigate the risks in Europe, Okuma accelerated its expansion in the U.S. market, establishing a Seattle branch in 1995. Facing intense competition from established Japanese brands, Zhang decided to step in personally after three years, initiating a price war and offering a “lifetime free repair” strategy to carve out market share. After a six-year struggle, Okuma turned profitable, with sales doubling, becoming the only foreign brand to establish a foothold in the U.S. fishing market alongside Japanese brands. This success cushioned the impact of any OEM withdrawal from German clients.

    After nearly 40 years of ups and downs, Okuma now holds a 40% market share in Taiwan, markets its products in over 90 countries, and generates annual revenue exceeding NT$2 billion, ranking as the world’s third-largest fishing rod and reel manufacturer. But Charles Chang isn’t content with this; beyond pushing for product innovation, he’s also setting high standards for the company’s ESG initiatives.

   According to Change, Okuma has established an ESG task force to help employees understand ESG principles. To encourage sustainable practices, the company also introduced an “ESG Monopoly” game, rewarding employees for taking public transportation, using stairs instead of elevators, or bringing reusable utensils.

   Furthermore, responding to international clients’ concerns about reducing plastic, Okuma replaced plastic packaging materials for new products with recyclable or biodegradable paper materials this year. Zhang shared that last year, Okuma’s New Zealand distributor began a shellfish restoration initiative, encouraging consumers to buy Okuma fishing gear with golden shell tags, with a portion of proceeds donated to shellfish conservation organizations. Consumers also receive a small gift. Going forward, Okuma plans to collaborate with its international distributors to launch more ESG-related campaigns, raising consumer awareness of the importance of marine ecosystems.

寶熊漁具鼓勵員工創新思考，研發更符合市場需求的捲線器。