| Revision as of 08:24, 26 December 2008 editEpipelagic (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers85,822 edits Over reporting again← Previous edit | Revision as of 13:38, 26 December 2008 edit undoInvertzoo (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers91,672 edits →Coastal fisheries: tweak proseNext edit → | ||
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| There are ] with several neighbouring nations over the exact extent of the EEZ in the ]. | There are ] with several neighbouring nations over the exact extent of the EEZ in the ]. | ||
| The China seas contain about 3,000 ] species, of which more than 150 species are fished commercially. Some major marine fishing species in recent times are ], ], black scraper (oval ] or ''Navodon modestus''), ] and some species |
The China seas contain about 3,000 ] species, of which more than 150 species are fished commercially. Some major marine fishing species in recent times are ], ], black scraper (oval ] or ''Navodon modestus''), ] and some species of shrimps, crabs and smaller fishes.<ref name="NOAA Industry"/> | ||
| ====Distant fisheries==== | ====Distant fisheries==== | ||
Revision as of 13:38, 26 December 2008
 China's continental shelf covers 431,000 km² |
China, with about one-fifth of the world's population, accounts for one-third of the world's fish production and two-thirds of the worlds aquaculture production. According to the FAO, the total fish production in 2005 was 49.5 million tons. Of this total, 65.5% was from aquaculture, an increasing sector, and 34.5% from wild fish caught in rivers, lakes, and the sea.
Aquaculture, the farming of fish in ponds and lakes, accounts for two-thirds of China's output. China's 2005 reported harvest was 32.4 million tons, more than 10 times that of the second-ranked nation, India, which produced 2.8 million tons.
China's 2005 reported catch of wild fish was 17.1 million tons, far ahead of the second-ranked nation, the United States, with 4.9 million tons.
The principal aquaculture-producing regions are close to urban markets in middle and lower Yangtze valley and the Zhu Jiang delta.
Statistics
Since 2002, China has been the world largest exporter of fish and fishery 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 world’s sixth largest importer of fish and fishery products, with imports worth US$4.0 billion.
In 2003, the global per capita consumption of fish was estimated at 16.5 kg, with Chinese consumption at 25.8 kg.
Wild fisheries
Coastal fisheries
China has a coastline of 14,500 kilometres, and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 877,019 square kilometres. The fishing grounds range from sub-tropical to temperate zones and include 431,000 square kilometres of continental shelves (within 200 meters deep).
| Areas of marine fishing grounds in km² | |||
| 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 neighbouring nations over the exact extent of the EEZ in the South China Sea.
The China seas contain about 3,000 marine species, of which more than 150 species are fished commercially. Some major marine fishing species in recent times are hairtail, chub mackerel, black scraper (oval filefish or Navodon modestus), anchovy and some species of shrimps, crabs and smaller fishes.
Distant fisheries
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 tons.
The China National Fishery Corporation (CNFC) is the major operator in the distant water fisheries. It sent the first Chinese fishing fleet to West African waters in 1985. The following year, with other Chinese partners, CNFC started trawling operations in the North Pacific. Tuna longlining followed in the South Pacific, and in 1989, squid longlining in the Japan Sea and the North Pacific.
Inland fisheries
Inland China has 176,000 square km of inland waters (1.8 percent of the inland area). Eighty thousand reservoirs contribute another 20,000 sq km.
China reputably has 709 freshwater fish species and 58 subspecies, with another 64 species migrating between sea and inland waters.
Carp are a commercially important species, particularly silver carp, bighead carp,black carp, grass carp, common carp and crucian carp. Other commercially important species are bream, reeves shad, eel, cat fish, rainbow trout, salmon, whitebait, mullet, mandarin fish, perch, sturgeon, murrel and pangolin. Commercial shellfish include freshwater shrimp and river crabs, molluscs include freshwater mussels, clams and freshwater snails. Aquatic plants are also harvested, lotus, water chestnut and gorgon euryale. Other commercial species include the soft-shell turtle and the frog.
China inland fish production before 1963 came mainly from wild inland fisheries. Since then, wild inland fishery resources have decreased because of overfishing, dam building, land reclamation for agriculture, and industrial pollution. During the 1970s, the annual output of wild inland fisheries had dropped to 300,000 tons per year. In 1978, the government set up organizational structures to deal with these issues, and to stock fish fingerlings in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. This reversed many of the problems, and by 1996 production reached 1.76 million tons. However, inland aquaculture has made even bigger gains, and now outstrips production from the wild inland fisheries.
| Major lakes in China | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake | Location | Area (km2) | Fisheries |
| Qinghaihu Lake | Qinghai | 4,583 | |
| Qinghaihu Lake | Qinghai | 4,583 | |
| Boyanghu Lake | Jiangxi | 3,583 | |
| Luobubo Lake | Xinjiang | 3,006 | |
| Dongtinghu Lake | Hunan | 2,820 | |
| Taihu Lake | Jiangsu | 2,420 | |
| Hulunhu Lake | Neimenggu | 2,315 | |
| Hongzehu Lake | Jiangsu | 1,586 | |
| Major rivers in China | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Huaihe River | 1,000 | 18,700 | |
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. 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 China policies where state entities that monitor the economy are also tasked with increasing output. Also, until recently, the promotion of Chinese officials was based on production increases from their own areas.
China disputes this claim. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Yang Jian, director general of the Agriculture Ministry's Bureau of Fisheries, as saying that China's figures were "basically correct". However, the FAO accepts there are issues about the reliability of China's statistical returns, and currently treats data from China apart from the rest of the world.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture has been used in China since circa 2500 BC. When the waters lowered after river floods, some fishes, mainly carp, were held in artificial ponds. Their brood were later fed using nymphs and silkworm feces, while the fish themselves were eaten as a source of protein. By a fortunate genetic mutation, this early domestication of carp led to the development of goldfish in the Tang Dynasty.
Cyprinus carpio is the number one fish of aquaculture. The annual tonnage of common carp, not to mention the other cyprinids, produced in China exceeds the weight of all other fish, such as trout and salmon, produced by aquaculture world wide.
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 tons to 15.31 million tons.
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.
| Top 10 species grown in China in 2005 | |
| Species | Tonnes |
|---|---|
| Japanese kelp | 4 314 000 |
| Grass carp | 3 857 000 |
| Pacific cupped oyster | 3 826 000 |
| Silver carp | 3 525 000 |
| Japanese carpet shell | 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 |
Inland aquaculture
In 1979, inland aquaculture occupied 237.8 million hectares and produced 813,000 tons. In 1996, they occupied 485.8 million hectares and produced 10.938 million tons. In that year, 17 provinces produced 100,000 tons from inland aquaculture.
Pond culture is the most common method of inland aquaculture (73.9% in 1996). These ponds are mostly distributed along the Yangtze River basin and the Pearl River basin. They cover seven provinces: Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangxi and Shandong. The government has also supported developments in rural areas to get rid of poverty. The sector is also important from a nutrition point of view, because it brings seafood to areas far from the sea where traditional consumption of seafood has been low.
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.
Fish farming in paddy fields is also developing. In 1996, paddy fish farming occupied 12.05 million hectares producing 376,800 tons. A further 16 million hectares of paddy fields are available for development.
Foreign species introduced from abroad are also gaining ground, such as tilapia, rainbow trout, silver salmon, paddle fish, roach, river perch, toad catfish and Collossoma brachypomum.
Marine aquaculture
Using current culture technologies, much farmed cultivation of marine plants and animals can be applied within the 10 metre isobath in marine environments. There are about 1.33 million hectares of marine cultivable areas in China, including shallow seas, mudflats and bays. Before 1980, less than nine percent of these areas were cultivated, and species were mainly confined to kelp, laver (Porphyra) and mussels.
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 tons on 117,000 hectares, and the 1996 production was 4.38 million tons on 822,000 hectares.
Since the 1980s, the government has encouraged the introduction of different marine species, including shrimp, Penaeus chinensis, mussel, scallop, abalone, sea bream, tilapia, grouper and Scylla serrata.
In 1989, production of farmed shrimp was 186,000 tons, and China was the largest producer in the world. In 1993 viral disease struck, and by 1996 production declined to 89,000 tons. This was attributed to inadequate management such as overfeeding and high stock densities.
Miscellanea
Historically, cormorant fishing has been a significant fishing technique in China. To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird's throat. This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat. When a cormorant has caught a fish, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has the bird spit the fish out. Chinese fishermen often employ great cormorants. Though cormorant fishing used to be a successful fishing industry, its primary use today is to serve the tourism industry.In Guilin, Guangxi Province, cormorant birds are famous for fishing on the shallow Lijiang River.
See also
Notes
- The CIA World factbook: Population rank order gives a July 2008 estimated China/World population ratio of 1,330,044,544/6,706,993,152 = 0.198.
- ^ FAO Fact sheet: Aquaculture in China and Asia
- FAO report: China responsible for two-thirds of world aquaculture production – FishUpdate.com
- CIA factbook: China
- Sea Around Us Project: China's EEZ
- ^ NOAA Central Library (2000) Fishing Industry in China
- Watson, Reg and Pauly, Daniel (2001) Systematic distortions in world Fsheries catch trends Letter to Nature, 414: 534.
- Pearson, Helen (2001) China caught out as model shows net fall in fish Nature 414, 477. doi 10.1038/35107216
- Heilprin, John (2001) Chinese Misreporting Masks Dramatic Decline In Ocean Fish Catches 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 Associate Press, 17 December 2002.
- FAO (2006) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOPHIA), Page 5.
- ^ NOAA Central Library (1996) Aquaculture Industry
- Cormorant Fishing "UKAI". May 2001 version. Retrieved 2008-JAN-30.
References
- FAO: Fishery and Aquaculture Profile for China
- 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 9780632064823
External linksa
- 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) [http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/eh/13.2/muscolino.html The yellow croaker war: Fishery disputes between China and Japan, 1925–1935 Environmental History 13(2).
- Chinese Cooperation with International Agreements on Oceanic Issues The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, October 1997.
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