Fishing industry in China
Consumption | 25.8 kg (57 lb) fish per capita (2003) |
---|---|
Fisheries GDP | US$ 45.9 billion (2004)[1] |
Export value | US$ 6.6 billion (2004)[1] |
Import value | US$ 3.1 billion (2004)[1] |
Harvest (2004 unless otherwise stated) | |
Wild marine | 14.5 million tonnes (16,000,000 tons)[1] |
Wild inland marine | 2.4 million tonnes (2,600,000 tons)[1] |
Wild total | 19.9 million tonnes (21,900,000 tons) |
Aquaculture total | 32.4 million tonnes (35,700,000 tons) (2005) |
Fish total | 49.5 million tonnes (54,600,000 tons) (2005) |
China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production.[2][3] It is also a major importer of seafood and the country's seafood market is estimated to grow to a market size worth US$53.5 Billion by 2027.[4]
China's 2005 reported catch of wild fish, caught in rivers, lakes, and the sea, was 17.1 million tonnes, far ahead of the second-ranked nation, the United States, which reported 4.9 million tonnes. The Chinese commercial fishing fleet is responsible for more illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing than that of any other nation.
Aquaculture, the
The major aquaculture-producing regions are generally concentrated in the coastal regions, with Guangdong, Shandong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Hubei being the key aquaculture producing provinces in China.[citation needed] China is also increasingly moving into offshore fish farms and has large scale salmon farms in the Yellow Sea as well as planning to build the world's first 100,000-tonne large-scale fish farming vessel by March 2022.[6][7][8][9]
Statistics
Since 2002, China has been the world largest exporter of fish and fish products. In 2005, exports, including aquatic plants, were valued at US$7.7 billion, with Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea as the main markets. In 2005, China was the sixth largest importer of fish and fish products in the world, with imports totaling US$4.0 billion.[2]
In 2003, the global per capita consumption of fish was estimated at 16.5 kg, with Chinese consumption, based on her reported returns, at 25.8 kg.[2]
In 2010, China accounted for 60% of global aquaculture production (by volume) and had ~14 million people (26% of the world total) engaged as fishers and fish farmers (FAO). In 2009, China produced approximately 21 million metric tons (MTs) of freshwater fish or 48% of global output, and 5.3 million MTs of crustaceans or 49% of global output.[10]
The Chinese fishing industry is the most heavily subsidized on earth.[11] It also has the highest share of harmful subsidies, subsidies which make it profitable to overfish depleted stocks, with $5.9 billion of such subsidies paid in 2018. This compares to harmful subsidies from Japan at $2.1 billion, the European Union at $2 billion, and the United States at $1.1 billion.[12] Most of these subsidies are fuel subsidies, which contribute to carbon emissions.[13] In 2013 94% of Chinese fisheries subsidies were for fuel.[14]
Wild fisheries
Coastal fisheries
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/China_blank_map.svg/220px-China_blank_map.svg.png)
China has a coastline of 14,500 kilometers,
Areas of marine fishing grounds in km²[17] | |||
Region | Area | Continental shelf | EEZ
|
---|---|---|---|
Bohai Sea | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 |
Yellow Sea | 127,000 | 127,000 | 103,000 |
East China Sea | 252,000 | 151,000 | 160,000 |
South China Sea | 630,000 | 129,000 | 531,000 |
Total | 1,033,000 | 431,000 | 818,000 |
There are ongoing disputes with several neighboring nations over the exact extent of the EEZ in the South China Sea.[18]
The seas around China contain about 3,000
Distant fisheries
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Internationalwaters.png/220px-Internationalwaters.png)
Chinese distant water fishing activities started in 1985 when China gained access to new fishing grounds through agreements with foreign countries. By 1996, these fisheries had extended to 60 regions around the world, employing 21,200 fishermen, 1381 fishing vessels, and caught 926,500 tonnes.[17]
The
According to a report published in the journal
As of 2020 China had the world’s largest distant waters fishing fleet with nearly 17,000 vessels, mostly registered in China but with approximately 1,000 registered under
Inland fisheries
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Yangxin-Fushui-River-fishermen-0043.jpg/220px-Yangxin-Fushui-River-fishermen-0043.jpg)
Inland China has 176,000 square km of inland waters (1.8 percent of the inland area). Eighty thousand reservoirs contribute another 20,000 km2.
China reputably has 709 freshwater fish species and 58 subspecies, with another 64 species migrating between sea and inland waters.[17]
China inland fish production before 1963 came mainly from wild inland fisheries. Since then, wild inland fishery resources have decreased because of
Major lakes and rivers in China[17] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Lake | Location | Area (km2) | Fisheries |
Qinghaihu Lake
|
Qinghai | 4,583 | |
Qinghaihu Lake
|
Qinghai | 4,583 | |
Poyang Lake | Jiangxi | 3,583 | |
Luobubo Lake
|
Xinjiang | 3,006 | |
Dongtinghu Lake
|
Hunan | 2,820 | |
Lake Tai | Jiangsu | 2,420 | |
Hulunhu Lake
|
Neimenggu
|
2,315 | |
Hongzehu Lake
|
Jiangsu | 1,586 | |
River | Length (km) | Area (km2) | Fisheries |
Yangtze River
|
5,800 | 18,085 | |
Yellow River | 5,464 | 7,524 | |
Heilongjiang River
|
2,965 | 8,900 | |
Talimu River
|
2,179 | 1,980 | |
Zhujiang River
|
2,129 | 4,257 | |
Songhuajiang River
|
1,840 | 5,456 | |
Yaluzangbujiang River | 1,787 | 2,416 | |
Lancangjiang River
|
1,612 | 1,540 | |
Nujiang River
|
1,540 | 1,200 | |
Hanjiang River
|
1,532 | 1,744 | |
Liaohe River
|
1,430 | 1,920 | |
Nenjiang River
|
1,370 | 2,439 | |
Yalongjiang River
|
1,187 | 1,443 | |
Yujiang River
|
1,162 | ||
Jialinjiang River
|
1,119 | 1,598 | |
Haihe River
|
1,090 | 2,650 | |
Wujiang River
|
1,018 | 882 | |
Huai River | 1,000 | 18,700 |
Management
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Zhuhai-fishing-port-0692.jpg/220px-Zhuhai-fishing-port-0692.jpg)
In 1999, China set an objective of “zero growth” in coastal marine capture catch, and in 2001 changed the objective to “minus growth [sic]". To achieve this, China has been reducing vessel numbers and relocating fishermen away from marine capture fisheries. By the end of 2004, 8,000 vessels were scrapped and 40,000 fishermen were relocated. In 2006, China issued the Programme of Action on Conservation of Living Aquatic Resources of China. This provides that, by 2010, deterioration of the aquatic environment, declines in fisheries resources and increases in endangered species will be arrested, over-capacity will be reduced, and efficiencies will be increased.[1] Despite these efforts, overfishing continues to be a major problem in Chinese fisheries, with an estimated maximum sustainable yield of 750 to 1100 million tons in offshore regions far exceeded to the tune of 1200 to 1300 million tons, according to government statistics. In addition to the unsustainable catch, the rapid development of China's coastal cities and industries has created massive pollution - depleting the habitats and overall fishery numbers as well.[24]
2010 marine fishery targets[1] | ||
---|---|---|
2002 | 2010 | |
Motorised fishing vessels | 220,000 | 192,000 |
Fishing fleet power | 12.70 million kW | 11.43 million kW |
Marine catch | 13.06 million ton | 12 million ton |
The fisheries authorities of China have adopted the following
- Season moratorium: Since 1994, China has been imposing a hot season moratorium in the
- Input controls: China uses input control as a major strategy. Regulation of Capture Fisheries Permit Management, issued in 2002, requires fisheries authorities in China to control the overall fishing capacity through target limits for vessels and gear, as well as through the issue of fishing permits.[1]
- Output controls: These include regulation governing the allowed proportion of undersized fish in catch.[1]
Over reporting
In 2001, the fisheries scientists Reg Watson and Daniel Pauly expressed concerns in a letter to Nature that China was over reporting its catch from wild fisheries in the 1990s.[25][26] They said that made it appear that the global catch since 1988 was increasing annually by 300,000 tonnes, whereas it was really shrinking annually by 350,000 tonnes. Watson and Pauly suggested this may be related to Chinese policies where state entities that monitored the economy were also tasked with increasing output. Also, until more recently, the promotion of Chinese officials was based on production increases from their own areas.[27][28]
China disputed this claim. The official
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Chinese commercial fishing fleet is responsible for more illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) fishing than that of any other nation.
In December 2022, the United States Secretary of the Treasury issued sanctions on Pingtan Marine Enterprise and related individuals over human rights abuses tied to China-based illegal fishing.[36]
Galapagos
A large Chinese fishing fleet of hundreds of vessels visits the ocean around the
Analysis conducted by the non-profit organization Oceana in partnership with Global Fishing Watch noted that in September 2020, 300 Chinese merchant vessels were spotted off the coast of the Galapagos fishing squid, tuna, sharks, and other marine life. Satellite data analysis found that various fishing vessels spent a cumulative 73,000 hours fishing near the Galapagos Islands between August and September 2020. Oceana concluded that this fishing negatively affected sensitive marine life in the region and that Chinese vessels actively sought to evade detection by local authorities, either by practicing illegal transshipment strategies or by disabling onboard public tracking devices.[37]
The exploitation of marine resources by illegal means is a problem acknowledged by Latin American countries on the Pacific coast. In November, 2020, the governments of Colombia, Chile, Peru and Ecuador released a joint official communique pledging to combat IUU off of its coasts in the coming decade.[38] The governments of these four countries have pledged to increase international cooperation in the protection of the South American Pacific Coast. The Chilean government has stated that it aims to aid in the designation of 30% of the ocean as a marine protected area by 2030 in an effort to disincentive IUU fishing. Global Fishing watch has also stated that greater transparency between Latin American nations and international cooperation are necessary to curve illegal fishing in the area.[39]
North Korea
Chinese commercial fishermen have engaged in large scale squid fishing in North Korean waters in violation of U.N. sanctions which prohibit foreign fishing vessels from fishing in North Korean waters. The Chinese squid fishing fleet in North Korean waters has at times numbered up to 800 vessels and has caused a 70% drop in squid stock in those waters. According to
Taiwan
The decline in China’s coastal fish stocks and the imposition of more expansive closed seasons has led to an increase in Chinese fishermen illegally fishing in
Palau
On December 15, 2020, the
Aquaculture
Aquaculture has been used in China since the 2nd millennium BC. When the waters lowered after river floods, some fishes, mainly
Since the 1970s, the reform policies have resulted in the rapid development of China’s aquaculture, both in fresh and in sea waters. Total aquaculture areas rose from 2.86 million hectors in 1979 to 5.68 million hectors in 1996, and the production rose from 1.23 million tonnes to 15.31 million tonnes.[52]
In 2005, worldwide aquaculture production including aquatic plants was worth US$78.4 billion. Of this, the Chinese production was worth US$39.8 billion. In the same year there were about 12 million fish farmers worldwide. Of these, China reported 4.5 million employed full-time in aquaculture.[2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Grass.Carp2web.jpg/220px-Grass.Carp2web.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Bighead_carp_b.gif/220px-Bighead_carp_b.gif)
Top 10 species grown in China in 2005 | |
Species | Tonnes[2] |
---|---|
Japanese kelp | 4 314 000 |
Grass carp | 3 857 000 |
Pacific cupped oyster
|
3 826 000 |
Silver carp | 3 525 000 |
Japanese carpet shell[53]
|
2 857 000 |
Common carp
|
2 475 000 |
Wakame | 2 395 000 |
Bighead carp | 2 182 000 |
Crucian carp | 2 083 000 |
Yesso scallop
|
1 036 000 |
Production, area and yield: 2003[54] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Total production (tons) |
Area used (ha) |
Yield (kg/ha) | |
Overall total | 30,275,795 | 7,103,648 | 4,260 |
Marine culture | 12,533,061 | 1,532,152 | 8,180 |
Inland culture | 17,742,734 | 5,571,496 | 3,180 |
Pond | 12,515,093 | 2,398,740 | 5,220 |
Lake | 1,051,930 | 936,262 | 1,120 |
Reservoirs | 1,841,245 | 1,660,027 | 1,110 |
Rivers | 738,459 | 382,170 | 1,930 |
Rice paddies | 1,023,611 | 1,558,042 | 660 |
Other | 572,396 | 194,297 | 2,950 |
Inland aquaculture
In 1979, inland aquaculture occupied 237.8 million hectares and produced 813,000 tonnes. In 1996, they occupied 485.8 million hectares and produced 10.938 million tonnes. In that year, 17 provinces produced 100,000 tonnes from inland aquaculture.[52]
Pond culture is the most common method of inland aquaculture (73.9% in 1996). These ponds are mostly found around the
In recent times, China has extended its skills in culturing pond system to open waters such as lakes, rivers, reservoirs and channels, by incorporating cages, nets and pens.[52]
Fish farming in paddy fields is also developing. In 1996, paddy fish farming occupied 12.05 million hectares producing 376,800 tonnes. A further 16 million hectares of paddy fields are available for development.[52]
Species introduced from other parts of the world are also being farmed, such as
Marine aquaculture
Using current culture technologies, much farmed cultivation of marine plants and animals can be applied within the 10 metre
Between 1989 and 1996, areas of cultivated shallow sea were increased from 25,200 to 114,200 hectares, areas of mudflat from 266,800 to 533,100 hectares, and areas of bay from 131,300 to 174,800 hectares. The 1979 production was 415,900 tonnes on 117,000 hectares, and the 1996 production was 4.38 million tonnes on 822,000 hectares.[52]
Since the 1980s, the government has encouraged the introduction of different marine species, including the large
In 1989, production of
History
Historically,
A ten-year fishing ban is in place for the Yangtze River for the period 2020 to 2030.[57]: 170
Public perception
An opinion piece from the Associated Press claimed that in China the high seas fishing fleet is "a source of national pride" similar to what the U.S. space program was for generations of Americans.”[19]
See also
- Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences
- Chinese bahaba
- Cultured freshwater pearls
- Water resources of China
Notes
- ^
- ^
- ^ FAO report: China responsible for two-thirds of world aquaculture production Archived 2011-06-17 at the Wayback Machine – FishUpdate.com
- ^ "Global Seafood Market Trajectory & Analytics Report 2021: Market to Reach $138.7 Billion by 2027 - U.S. Market is Estimated at $6.3 Billion, While China is Forecast to Grow at 3.7% CAGR - ResearchAndMarkets.com". www.businesswire.com. 2021-07-19. Archived from the original on 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ ReportLinker (2021-07-12). "Global Aquaculture Market to Reach $245.2 Billion by 2027". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
- ^ Evans, Owen (2020-11-30). "China is building an armada of fish farm vessels. Now the first ship has been launched". SalmonBusiness. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
- ^ "China's giant aquaculture ship can help the environment and South China Sea ties, expert says". sg.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
- ^ "China planning fleet of 50 large scale fish farming vessels". MercoPress. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
- ^ "Salmon from Yellow Sea to reach shelves". Aqua Culture Asia Pacific. 2021-07-30. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
- ^ Puette, Loren. "ChinaAg: Seafood". Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ Wang, Orange (15 August 2021). "South China Sea, Xinjiang muddy water of fishing subsidies debate as WTO faces 'crucial test'". www.scmp.com. SCMP. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ Palmer, Doug. "U.S. proposes to address high-seas slavery in global fish subsidy talks". www.politico.com. Politico. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ Jarrett, Isabel (14 April 2021). "We need to talk about overfishing". www.ips-journal.eu. IPS Journal. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- .
- ^ Sea Around Us Project: China's EEZ Archived 2004-06-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^
- ^ "South China Sea dispute: China's pursuit of resources 'unlawful', says US". BBC News. 14 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ a b c Goodman, Joshua (24 September 2021). "Great Wall of Lights". apnews.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "China's long-distance fishing fleet reliant on subsidies". 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ a b Collyns, Dan (6 August 2020). "'They just pull up everything!' Chinese fleet raises fears for Galápagos sea life". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ a b Ruwet, Melodie. "Chinese trawlers in the Galapagos: The protection challenge". www.lowyinstitute.org. Lowy Institute. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ from the original on 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- .
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- PMID 11734811.
- ^ Heilprin, John (2001) Chinese Misreporting Masks Dramatic Decline In Ocean Fish Catches Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine Associated Press, 29 November 2001.
- ^ Reville, William (2002) Something fishy about the figures The Irish Times, 14 Mar 2002
- ^ China disputes claim it over reports fish catch Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine Associated Press, 17 December 2002.
- Archive-It, Page 5.
- ^ "Fishery statistics: Reliability and policy implications". Archived from the original on 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
- ^ a b Kraska, James. "China's Maritime Militia Vessels May Be Military Objectives During Armed Conflict". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ Yap, Chuin-Wei. "China's Fishing Fleet, the World's Largest, Drives Beijing's Global Ambitions". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ a b Chalk, Peter (July 21, 2023). "Illegal Fishing in Southeast Asia: Scope, Dimensions, Impacts, and Multilateral Response". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2019" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-09.
- ^ Martina, Michael; Psaledakis, Daphne (2022-12-09). "U.S. imposes sanctions over rights abuses, targets China and Russia". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2022-12-12. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ Mustain, Patrick (2020-09-15). "Oceana Finds 300 Chinese Vessels Pillaging the Galapagos for Squid". Oceana USA. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
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- ^ Farthing, Courtney (2021-02-08). "Latin America Highlights Transparency as Essential in Tackling Illegal Fishing". Global Fishing Watch. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
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Bernadette Carreon (2020-12-15). "Tiny Pacific nation of Palau detains 'illegal' Chinese fishing vessel". Koror, Palau. Archivedfrom the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
Remengesau said Palau had to balance its concerns over the crew bringing Covid into the archipelago, while defending the country's territorial waters from incursion.
- ^ "All About Aquaculture: from 2000 BC in China to Today in the U.S. | Talking Fish". www.talkingfish.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
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References
- FAO: The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2004: Part 3: Scope of the seaweed industry
- Hart PJB and Reynolds JD (2002) Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-632-06482-3
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Pacific Rim Fisheries: People's Republic of China, Pacific Coast
- NOAA Central Library (2000) Importance of the Fishery Industry in China
- NOAA Central Library (2000) Fishery Enterprises in China
- NOAA Central Library (2000) Fish processing
- Fishing in China New York Times, 25 March 1877.
- Cairns, D (1948) Fishing Industry in China Tuatara, Vol. 1, issue 2.
- Muscolino, M (2008) The yellow croaker war: Fishery disputes between China and Japan, 1925–1935 Environmental History 13(2).
- Chinese Cooperation with International Agreements on Oceanic Issues[permanent dead link] The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, October 1997.