| As a leading marine fishing province,Zhejiang has long been topping the list of all coastal provinces and cities in offshore fishing output,with its fishing production reaching 2.8739 million tons,out of 5.9571 million tons of aquatic products overall,according to statistical data on Zhejiang’s fishery economy in 2018.Marine fishing,consisting of trawling,purse seining,gill-netting,stow-netting,and line-fishing,is the pillar industry of marine fishery in Zhejiang province.The fishing modes and industrial structure,however,tend to be increasingly unreasonable,with the constant development of offshore fishing and the dynamic change in the species and quantities of marine resources in Zhejiang.The 21 st century is an era of marine industry,with the development of marine fishing highly prioritized in China.Resource conservation and environmental protection,particularly as one of the basic state policies,have been put forward in the 19 th Communist Party of China National Congress,aiming at reinforcing protection of ecological system,and optimizing policies of rehabilitating farmlands,grasslands,forests,rivers and lakes,to provide opportunities in policies for a transformation of marine offshore fishing modes and adjustment of related industrial structures.It has been,therefore,an issue of common concern to re-examine problems in developing and managing fishery industry,based upon the current situation in the exploitation of marine resources,as an effort to conserve and rationally exploit marine resources,adhere to the objectives of resource conservation and environmental protection,and maintain the sustainable development of offshore marine resources.It is a major problem,which deserves further analysis in the research of marine fishery economy and its management,to adjust the industrial structure of offshore fishing.This study,conducted on statistical data,archives,and documents and materials,adopting methods of statistics,comparisons,and comprehensive analysis,analyses the development and problems of offshore marine fishing in recent 15 years,through total offshore fishing production and fishing intensity of various fishing modes,and put forward strategies,based upon theories of sustainable development,for the adjustment of industrial structures in marine fishery in the following period,to adapt to the new tendencies and changes,and maintain a sustainable exploitation of marine resources.The findings are as follows:(1)Offshore fishing has long been an essential component of marine fishing industry in Zhejiang province,with Zhejiang fishery being most abundant in fishing resources and developed with the highest level of productivity.Zhoushan Fishery joins the ranks of the top four renowned fisheries in China,and Shenjiamen Fishing Port has become one of the world’s three largest fishing ports.Since the beginning of the 21 st century,Zhejiang’s offshore fishing output has been fluctuating,revealing either an upward or a downward tendency in the following three phases respectively.During the first phase,from 2004 to 2008,the offshore fishing output declined.During the second phase,from 2009 to 2016,the offshore fishing output was on a slight but steady increase.During the third stage,from 2016 to 2018,the offshore fishing output was on another decline.(2)In terms of output produced in various modes of fishing,trawling,including single trawling and shrimp beam-trawling,creates the highest offshore fishing output,with the production ranging from 1.6324 to 2.099 million tons in recent 15 years,accounting for over half of the total offshore fishing output in Zhejiang province.Purse seining,including wheel seining and mass deep-water light seining,yields a yearly increase of production,and particularly a continual rise by the end of 2011,and a steady increase afterwards,but with its CPUE keeping a constant drop,from 173.22 tons/kw in 2004 to 16.04 tons/kw in 2018.The output of gill-netting was basically on a slight rise,from 185,500 tons in 2004 to 321,700 tons in 2018,with an average annual growth rate of 5%,but a converse drop of CPUE,from 8.89 tons/kw in 2004 to 5.29 tons/kw in 2018.Only secondary to trawling,stow-netting creates an overall steady output in recent 15 years,and yearly increase in CPUE since 2009.The total output and CPUE of line-fishing,however,was on a decrease since 2007,with the total output slightly increasing at a low level,and the CPUE on a yearly decline.(3)Trawling,stow-netting and gill-netting are so far the three most productive modes of fishing,with purse seining and line-fishing being applied to a comparatively smaller scale.The number of fishing boats employed in trawling,stow-netting and other modes of fishing has been on a decrease,in spite of a steady fishing boat employment in gill-netting in recent 15 years.Two major features have been found in terms of power number.One is a yearly increase of powers in line-fishing,purse seining,and gill netting,with the largest increase in line-fishing,and a slight decrease in trawling and stow-netting,demonstrating an explicit upsizing tendency of fishing boats in Zhejiang province;The other trait manifests an overwhelming advantage of trawling power over the rest modes of fishing in Zhejiang province.(4)The overall quantity of fishing labor force in Zhejiang is on a decline,from 421,600 in 2004 to 371,300 in 2018,with the smallest change of quantity in labor forces taking on professional marine fishing,from 167,500 in 2004 to 133,300 in 2018,indicating that there is a certain number of offshore fishing teams and individuals who take up fishing in Zhejiang province.(5)Zhejiang fishery,rich in marine fishing resources before,has now demonstrated a decline of offshore fishing resources and a destruction of ecological system for fishing,as a result of such destructive human activities as over-fishing for years.The industrial structure tends to be unreasonable due to a lasting high fishing intensity and the lack of supervision and control in it.In line with the concept of sustainable development,it is necessary in the future to alter and adjust industrial structure of offshore fishing,continue to reduce the damage to fishing resources by downsizing the scale of such fishing modes as trawling and stow-netting,and strictly controlling the number of fishing vessels and power,and encouraging promoting the development of line-fishing and gill-netting.The size of trawling nets should be minimized in accordance with the government regulations.It is advised to encourage selective fishing and guarantee higher survival ratio of marine catches.Fishing moratorium in summer and related laws and regulations should be rigidly implemented so as to protect and recuperate offshore fishery resources.Safety and sanitation facilities in old and shabby fishing vessels should be improved to promote the transformation and upgrading of the offshore fishing industry.Trainings for fishermen’s transfer to other occupations and their alternative living capacities can be performed to improve their employability and gradually relieve the pressure on offshore fishing resources. |
