...
The groundfish market (this includes such fish as cod, hake, and pollack) has shown definite price increases in recent years, due to increased demand in some Asian nations and lower catch rates in some South American countries, reducing overall supply. The supply problem was lessened by China's increasing contribution to groundfish supply (FAO, 2007).
Implementation of Our Solution in China
With these facts in mind, it is apparent that fish consumption and production in China is a considerable chunk of the world's consumption and production, and is therefore a major part of the global problem. Even if such widescale production is warranted by the needs of the Chinese population, it is undeniable that sooner or later the live marine resources around that China is now exploiting will become depleted, if they are not already.
...
China has already recognized this fact, and has begun to try to reverse some of its growth. In 2002, China implemented a five-year plan to decommission and destroy 30,000 fishing vessels (7% of total commercial fleet). The program received $33 million dollars worth of funding and participation was voluntary. Most of the boats that were scrapped were small and designed to stay close to shore. Another portion of the regulation prohibits the construction of a new boat for any purpose other than to replace a craft with a current license. 5,000 boats and licenses were reportedly discontinued in year one of the program, although the amount of commercial vessels in operation in 2003 and 2004 (as reported to the FAO by China) increased (FAO, 2007).
...
Evidently, China must do much more of this type of regulation and management in order to make the impact on their fishing industry that is necessary to save the oceans. Also, steps must be taken to make sure that the booming aquaculture industry operates in an environmentally friendly manner, and that any growth in aquaculture includes provisions for environmentally friendly operation. Eventually, overall production of fish must decrease, meaning that alternate sources of nutrition and employment must be found. It is quite possible, though, that with the measures innovations that are detailed in other sections of this report, along with a healthy dose of international cooperation, that China could one day be the proud manager of a healthy, sustainable fishery..
Implementation of Mission:2011
International Treaty
The first and most important step that must be accomplished if China's fisheries are to become sustainable is to convince China to ratify our treaty. China's history in matters of international cooperation is inconclusive, but with regard to the fisheries problem there is considerable evidence that the nation considers the health of the oceans to be a problem that is worth some concern. China has shown this concern not only by the measures it has already implemented with regard to decommissioning boats, but by signing and ratifying the Law of the Sea treaty that set up many important initial guidelines for fisheries management. We recognize that international cooperation is based on negotiation and compromise. China's previous cooperation lends credence to the belief that with proper persuasion and presentation, a satisfactory agreement can be reached that will still advance the ecological goals of our solution. This was the reason that we decided to focus our solution on the health of the fish and their habitat-fish can not look out for themselves, while humans can. Any solution negotiated and agreed upon by people will by nature not be as beneficial to any creature as much as it is to people. One could say that our solution as factored in a certain amount of room for alteration without compromising our core goals.
Tax
Taxation, as an integral part of our long-term solution, will be implemented in all countries who ratify the treaty, China included if it ratifies. Therefore, the team of biologists and economists who determine the tax will analyze the populations in which Chinese fishermen generally fish in order to model first the quantity of the maximum sustainable catch level and then the tax necessary to maintain this.
Fishing Technology
The implementation of this portion of our plan in China will be consistent with the general plan, of
Aquaculture
Education
References
CIA World Factbook. (2007). China. Retrieved 11/22/2007 from CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html#People
.
...