On an ecosystem approach to fisheries management in China

ABSTRACT The ecosystem approach (EA) has been extensively adopted by the international and regional frameworks as an important guideline for fisheries management, requiring the incorporation of some critical ecosystem considerations, such as species relationships, habitat conservation, and interactions between fishing activities and ecosystems. This study examines the features of ecosystem considerations in China’s fisheries legislative framework and assesses their consistency with the EA norms established by international and regional institutions. A notable feature of China's fisheries legislative framework is the focus on promoting the production capacities of fisheries resources, with less attention to mitigating nontarget species bycatch and discard, as well as conserving and restoring fisheries habitats and ecosystems, except when mandated by regional fisheries management organizations. Therefore, China has not developed a fisheries legislative framework that comprehensively addresses ecosystem considerations. The disparity of ecosystem considerations in China's fisheries management with international and regional frameworks presents significant challenges for China in attaining sustainable fisheries. The ideas presented here have the potential to address those challenges and move China closer to fisheries sustainability.