Module 6 - China: Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Sustaining Marine Resources

Similarly, eel farming still depends entirely on the catch of natural fry (elvers) in the East China Sea, and the declining supply of elvers suggests that this production system is not sustainable. Investment in new aquatic product processing plants was found to have lower priority than upgrading hygienic standards and quality at existing plants. With the full support of local leaders, proposals to build new fish ponds in areas of valuable wildlife habitat were dropped.

Benefits and Impacts

Although the project is still under implementation and its benefits and impacts are not fully assessed, the involvement of the Bank has already stimulated considerable discussion at the local level and between the provinces and participating communities regarding the formulation and implementation of CZM plans. This discussion has not only raised awareness of the importance of CZM but has already yielded substantial commitment to action, including coastal zone planning, integrated marine aquaculture schemes, the implementation of state-of-the-art marine environmental monitoring and disease control systems, initiation of a fishing boat monitoring and surveillance system, establishment of a marine protected area, protection of endangered species, and mangrove restoration.

Lessons Learned and Issues for Wider Applicability

The key lesson learned is that coastal development needs to be placed in the context of integrated coastal zone management where a wide range of interests and economic demands are placed on coastal resources. The experience from China is special mainly because of the extremely intensive use of coastal resources for aquaculture of a wide range of species in addition to other demands for industrial and urban development, tourism, and transport. The project has fostered conservation measures such as control of fishing activities using exclusion zones and closed fishing seasons that have been established and enforced. The project has addressed these issues through promoting and financing a complex network of actions that involve planning, monitoring, and management of marine resource use, while at the same focusing on marine aquaculture development and production needs, including the development of hatcheries, production systems, and processing and marketing facilities. The benefits of this effort have already begun to be realized with regard to aquaculture planning. The full project impact and outcome will be assessed once all of the systems are in full operation.