Current Fishery Development Policies and Strategies in China

1. Background

China's fisheries have entered a rapid growth period since 1985. The average annual growth rate was 13.6%, much higher than the world average, which was 1.5%. The total fisheries production in China was about 25 million tons in 1995 and 28 million tons in 1996, ranked first in the world and accounted for about one fourth of the world's total. The fish consumption per capita was 4.6 kilograms in the early 1980's and was up to 21.5 kilograms in 1996.

However, the problems now facing China are:

  1. the policies were not implemented well in some areas;
  2. few efforts were made in the exploitation on the waste waters, waste shoals and waste depressed lands ( "three wastes");
  3. serious fish diseases in aquaculture;
  4. weak in technical extension system and infrastructures;
  5. decline of inshore fishery resources and deterioration of water environment;
  6. weak in management;
  7. fishing in offshore and long distant waters has been constrained due to a new international marine law.

2. General principles

  1. accelerate aquaculture;
  2. protect and rationally utilize the inshore fishery resources;
  3. further develop fisheries in long distant waters;
  4. take vigorous measures to promote fish processing and trade;
  5. strengthen management system.

3. Future objectives

  1. two essential changes: the change of economic systems (from planned economy to market economy), and the change of economic growth patterns (from extensive to intensive);
  2. a well organized industrial structure;
  3. well supported by scientific and technological researches;
  4. a total fishery production up to 35 million tons in the year 2000 and the contribution of aquaculture up to 60%.
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