The predecessor of the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), the Taiwan Fisheries Experiment Station, was established in 1929 through the merger of four experiment units that were founded between 1910 and 1923.

　　FRI, one of the institutes under the Council of Agriculture (COA), Executive Yuan, is the principal institution for undertaking research on and developing fisheries in Taiwan. The Institute had five research departments and eight stations strategically allocated throughout Taiwan since 1945, until it was reorganized into five divisions and five research centers in 2002.

　　FRI implements comprehensive research on the use of fishery resources, improvements in fishing technology, enhancement of fishery stocks, advancement of aquaculture technology, application of biotechnology, and processing of fishery products. FRI broadly disseminates the results of its research by providing research publications, technical training, and services to domestic and international fisheries communities.