Official statistics indicate that the Jan.-Nov. period of 2000 witnessed a great increase in aquatic yield to reach 34.9 million tons, 4.2 percent up from the same period of 1999. The aquatic breeding yield contributed 60 percent of the industry’s total output, 6 percent up from the year 1995.

China has not only been the top producer of fish and seafood-related products in the world in the past decade, but is also the only country in which fish and sea food farming output exceeds the offshore catch.

According to Yang, the total output value of the fishing industry in 2005 will reach 250 billion yuan, with per capita consumption of 34 kg aquatic products. He added that the Food Development Guideline in 2010 foresees an average increase of 10 kg in per capita aquatic product consumption, which calls for faster and sustained growth of the industry.

Yang also urged stepped-up efforts to protect national aquatic resources and the environment as water contamination and over-fishing have become major threats to sustained development.

This year, the country will beef up its fishery supervision and management to prevent rapid expansion of fishing fleets. In 2000, the authorities seized 60,000 boats engaged in illegal fishing and 50,000 boats with inadequate documentation. This represented 40 percent of the entire fishing fleet.

(CIIC 01/11/2001)