Chapter 3
Actions and Achievements in the Major Fields of Sustainable Development
Section 10 Marine Resources
I. BackgroundII. Actions and Achievements3.61 China has a vast maritime space, a long coastal line, and rich marine resources. At present, the marine industry has become a new area of growth for the coastal regions economic development. According to incomplete statistics, the total annual output of China's marine industry is over RMB 220 billion yuan. Therefore, China considers rational utilisation of marine resources and the protection of marine environment as inseparable and has taken steps to develop and strengthen marine resource management and marine environmental protection.
3.62 Formulation of China's Ocean Agenda 21 and its Action Plan
Early in 1995, a common understanding on the principal strategy, objectives, and countermeasures of China's maritime work in the 21st Century was reached after several discussions organised by State Oceanic Administration (the government agency responsible for the maritime affairs of China) and attended by local governments in the coastal areas, ministries in charge of foreign exploration and management, and marine research specialists. After more than one year's efforts, the State Oceanic Administration formally released "China's Ocean Agenda 21" in May of 1996 and formulated an Action Plan. These became the guidelines and action framework for the exploration and protection of maritime resources, the improvement of the polluted marine environment, and the implementation of sustainable development.
3.63 Improvement of the legal system for protection of marine resources and environment, and establishment of a comprehensive management system
On the basis of the existing laws on marine environmental protection, China is drafting the "Exclusive Economic Law and Continental Shelf of the People's Republic of China" and the "Law on Maritime Resource Utilisation Management". China is paying attention to create a domestic law consistent with the international maritime laws. It has formulated an oceanic zoning system and national and regional plans for oceanic exploration. It has also created a licensing system for waste discharge into the sea. During the past few years, China has designated 38 areas for waste discharge. Through strengthening law enforcement and monitoring, the government effectively stopped the illegal discharge of wastes into seas. For the control of maritime petroleum exploration, the government strictly requires that exploring department be furnished with sewage disposal facilities, and emergency and monitoring facilities for oil-spilling to monitor and prevent pollution from oil spills. In 1993, the Xiamen coastal area was chosen as one of the three demonstration areas for "Maritime Pollution Prevention and Control Project in South Asian Maritime Space" by the UNDP, the Global Environment Facility, and the International Maritime Affairs Organisation. Through research and practice, the control work of Xiamen coastal area has entered into a stage of programming, coordinated management, joint law enforcement, and rational exploration. This has provided examples for the entire country in the management of coastal areas, especially in the prevention of sea pollution.
3.64 Integrated survey of the country's sea islands and experiments for sea island development
In 1989 China began to conduct a survey of sea islands. After eight years, it came to a successful end in 1996 with a primary understanding of the quantity of the country's sea islands and the marine resources on and near these islands, as well as the environmental, social, and economic conditions of the islands and surrounding areas. These steps have laid the foundation for rational exploration and utilisation of China's sea islands. Since 1993, China has approved six sea islands national comprehensive experimental development areas (Changdao Island of Shandong Province, Zhoushan Liuheng Island of Zhejiang Province, Haitan Island of Fujian Province, Changhai Island of Liaoning Province, Nan'ao Island of Guangdong Province, and Weizhou Island of Guangxi Province.) After more than three years of construction, outstanding benefits have been achieved. For example, in the experimental area of Liaoning's Changhai Island, people made great efforts in the development and promotion of seven floating-raft aquaculture projects and seabed sowing technology, including those for shrimp and scallops. The ratio of input to output is 1:3.5. The total annual economic profit of these projects is more than RMB 340 million yuan.
The Changdao County of Shandong Province lies
in the Bohai Sea Strait where the Huanghai Sea and the Bohai Sea meet.
The county is composed of 32 islands. The island area is 56 square km and
the coast line is 146 km long. In carrying out the development strategy
"to develop farming, animal husbandry, and fishery; to build the island",
the people have significantly developed a three-dimensional ecological
fishery, thus forming a complete "food chain" of aquaculture
biology. The 46,667 hectares of water space around the island is a large
"blue farm". People also plant trees to keep water on the island
and welcome rare and migratory birds. These steps have promoted the formation
of a healthy cycle between the island and the mainland. In this way, the
healthy eco-cycle of "people love birds, birds love forests, forests
keep water and water breeds people" has been formed. The Changdao
Island became the first better-off county of Shangdong Province. In 1993,
it was ranked as one of the 100 best counties in terms of aggregate economic
strength in the nation. In 1994, it won the nominee prize of "Global
Best 500" from the National Environmental Protection Agency as the
model of sustainable island development of China. |
3.65 Research on key technology of coastal resource utilisation and environment, and establishment of demonstrations on coastal development
In order to strengthen the comprehensive management capability of coastal areas, China has listed some key technology research areas in the Ninth Five-Year Plan for intensive scientific and technological attention. They include: "research on key technologies for utilisation of coastal resources and environment", "research on key technologies for comprehensive utilisation of sea water resources", "research on key technologies for oceanic energy generation", and "research on key technologies for membranes". In 1996, China started to implement a program to develop the ocean through application of science and technology, and to promote economic development in coastal areas.
3.66 Active protection of biological marine resources and continuous construction of marine nature reserves
In recent years, the Chinese fishery department has clearly stipulated that fishery fallowing must be carried out in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in July and August of every year. This has achieved good results in the protection of maritime fishery resources. Since the early 1990s, 25 nature preserves have been set up, covering a total area of 660,000 hectares. Also, a special ocean environment preserve is going to be set up to effectively protect typical ocean ecosystems and endangered species.
3.67 Establishment and perfection of networks for marine ecological monitoring, marine information, and forecasting and service systems
China has set up a national maritime environment monitoring network and made improvements in the national maritime information service system and the maritime environment forecast system. At present, the maritime monitoring force is composed of planes, ships, land stations, and buoys. It is responsible for monitoring and supervising the sea environment. The maritime information system and the maritime forecast system have begun to form. People can get timely information on changes in trends of the maritime environment and the daily forecast is broadcast through the central and local radio, and TV stations. This system also provides warnings to prevent disasters due to sudden storms. China has also set up an information-sharing mechanism with nearly 100 institutions in more than 60 countries. China is actively promoting the implementation of the global ocean monitoring system program and participating in the Northeast Asia Ocean Monitoring System Programme. China also formulated its Oceanic Eco-Environment Monitoring Network Plan.
Picture 3-18 Environmental Protection Workers Monitoring the Oceanic Environment
Text Browser Utilities: [ACCA21 Home Page, National Report on Sustainable Development Home Page, Back, Next]
For more information about ACCA21
contact:
Address: 109 Wanquanhe Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100089,
People's
Republic of China
Telephone: +86-10-82636193, +86-10-82634400 Ext.2401
Fax: +86-10-82636192