——– Excerpted from “Analysis on The Path of Developing Modern Mariculture in China under the Background of Maritime Power
1. Lack of a sound system of policies and regulations
China’s legislation in the field of fishery started late and developed slowly, and the system of laws and regulations is not perfect on the whole. At present, China’s mariculture production activities are mainly based on a few national laws and regulations such as the “Fishery law of the people’s Republic of China”, ” Measures for the administration of aquatic seedlings”, and fishery related laws and regulations formulated by local provinces and cities, such as the “Regulations of Shandong Province on the administration of safe production of Marine Fisheries”, “Regulations of Liaoning Province on fishery administration”, “Regulations of Jiangsu Province on fishery administration”, etc. Although the legal system related to mariculture in China has made continuous progress and improvement, and most of the legal contents are oriented to macro fisheries, there are few laws and regulations for mariculture, and there are obvious management gaps between different laws. It is difficult to guide mariculture production activities through laws and regulations. Therefore, China’s fisheries management departments usually need a large number of administrative orders or policies to supplement. Administrative orders or policies have a large time limit and randomness, which makes it difficult for law enforcement departments to enforce the law. With the deepening of the rule of law in China, it is urgent to build a perfect system of laws and regulations in the field of mariculture, strengthen the standardization and guidance of the industry, and speed up the promotion of mariculture into the legal era.
2. The Marine seed industry cannot effectively support the development of mariculture
A strong aquaculture seed industry is the foundation for the healthy and sustainable development of Marine aquaculture. In China’s history, the five waves of “fish, shrimp, shellfish, algae and ginseng” were all promoted with the industrialization of large-scale aquaculture in the later stage by first overcoming the relevant seedling breeding. With the squeeze of breeding space and the decline of germplasm resources, the introduction of original species can not effectively promote the further development of the industry. Therefore, scientists in the field of mariculture in China have carried out a large number of breeding theory and technology research in the main mariculture species, and cultivated more than 100 new mariculture varieties, effectively promoting the development of China’s mariculture industry. However, considering the development of aquaculture industry in relatively developed countries and the huge volume of mariculture in China, the aquaculture industry in China cannot effectively support the healthy and sustainable development of Marine aquaculture industry in China. The main problems are as follows: (1) The industrialization degree of seawater improved varieties cultivated in China is low, and most of them are stagnant in the stage of promotion and demonstration. The following marketization resources such as capital and personnel are lacking, and the industrialization promotion is difficult. (2)The efficiency of aquaculture breeding is low. Under the influence of China’s scientific research system, most new aquatic varieties are cultivated by scientific research institutes or universities through government projects, and the market orientation is obviously weak. Enterprises only play a participating or auxiliary role in the cultivation process of improved varieties, and there is a big gap between the overall technology research and development foundation and the ability of more developed countries. With the change of the offshore environment and the increasing pressure of the transformation and upgrading of Marine fisheries, the phenomenon that the aquaculture seed industry has become a short board restricting the healthy and sustainable development of mariculture is becoming more and more obvious. It is urgent to build a perfect and efficient r&d and production system of aquaculture breeding and consolidate the foundation of the development of aquaculture in China.
3. Aquaculture models need to be upgraded
The mode of aquaculture directly determines the development space and potential of the mariculture industry. With the continuous advancement of technologies such as shallow water raft culture, cage culture and offshore pond culture, China’s mariculture has undergone a massive expansion stage from coastal zone to offshore, and through continuous expansion, China has developed almost all the suitable space in the nearshore from south to north. In a specific historical period, the above-mentioned farming methods have made a significant contribution to the rapid development of China’s mariculture industry. With the rapid socio-economic development of China’s coastal areas, the contradictions between the mariculture industry and other industries and marine ecological protection have become increasingly acute, and the space and potential for the subsequent development of mariculture has been significantly restricted. Instead of significantly increasing the production capacity, the increase in aquaculture density and capacity has led to the deterioration of the aquaculture environment, ecological imbalance and frequent occurrence of diseases, which has exacerbated the contradictions in the mariculture industry. In order to change the above-mentioned industrial dilemma, in recent years, mariculture researchers and practitioners have taken the initiative to carry out scientific and technological research, exploring and forming new farming concepts and models such as marine pasture, deep-sea culture and intensive factory culture. For example, Hao Dangjia, CIMC Raffles, Mingbo Aquaculture, Shandong Ocean Development Group and other leading enterprises have begun to layout the field of deep-sea aquaculture, opening up a new direction and space for the development of mariculture. However, due to the constraints of production concept, technology level and production cost, the new aquaculture model has not been well applied and promoted, and the industry is still dominated by the crude traditional aquaculture model, and the deep-rooted contradictions in the development of the industry have not been fundamentally reversed. It is urgent to promote the comprehensive iterative upgrading of mariculture model through scientific and technological innovation and modern management.
4. Low value added to aquaculture products
China’s mariculture has long ranked first in the world in terms of total production and total output value, but the value of our mariculture products is generally low compared to that of developed countries. ① Due to the continuous expansion of China’s mariculture scale and the solidification of the culture model, the current structure of China’s mariculture species is unreasonable, the lack of reasonable planning and layout of the culture species, the homogenization of the culture products is serious, resulting in excessive competition, which to a certain extent lowers the economic value of the products; ②With the continuous industrialisation process in China, the pollution of our coastal zone and offshore environment is very prominent, and the quality of seawater is significantly affected, and there are more safety problems and hidden worries for mariculture products, especially in the face of the higher product testing standards in western countries, it is difficult for our offshore aquaculture products to meet the standards when exported to western countries, and the overall image of producing low-end products or unsafe products is formed in the international arena, which greatly restricts the enhancement of the value chain of our mariculture products; ③As China’s mariculture industry is still in the primary stage of development, the industry is dominated by non-standard small enterprises or farmers, and there are few modern large enterprises, resulting in the industry as a whole does not pay attention to improving product value through brand strategy and deep processing strategy, and most products are directly supplied to the market with primary products with low added value. The overall situation of large output and low added value of mariculture in China has been formed for a long time,.
Industrial upgrading path countermeasures and suggestions
1. Strengthen the top-level planning and design of the industry
According to the overall requirements of China’s coastal economic, social and ecological development and the inherent development rules of mariculture, we will formulate a general plan for the development of mariculture in China and special plans for subdivided fields, clarify the future development strategy of mariculture, and unify the deployment in terms of medium and long-term development goals, application research, key technologies and industrial layout. The project will be implemented in accordance with the characteristics of the coastal zone, near and distant sea resources and the ecological environment, with reasonable planning and layout of modern mariculture demonstration areas, and vigorously We will also promote new aquaculture models such as recreational fishing, marine ranching, deep and open sea aquaculture and road-based recirculating water aquaculture, and actively expand the development space and production potential of the industry. The construction of an ecological compensation mechanism for mariculture, the promotion of mariculture and environmental protection industry, carbon sink industry and other new business in-depth integration, and promote mariculture to take an environmentally friendly and socially friendly route.
2. Building a sound system of laws and regulations
Strengthen the research work on the legislation related to mariculture. Compared with the relevant fisheries laws and regulations of developed countries, China’s existing mariculture-related laws and regulations mostly adopt terminal control and mandatory control, and only take relevant remedial or corrective measures when problems arise in the development of the industry, which is less effective in guiding or regulating the development of the industry. Drawing on the experience of developed countries, from the perspective of promoting the healthy development of the industry, we should sort out and improve the economic policies, scientific and technological policies, environmental policies and taxation policies that encourage and support green aquaculture from the source, study and formulate special laws and regulations on mariculture that are suitable for China’s national conditions by means of legislation, regulate the entry standards or thresholds of the industry, improve the level of control of the industrial development process, so that the laws and regulations can really play a The laws and regulations can really play a role in guiding the green and healthy development of the industry. Based on the popularization and promotion of existing laws such as the Fisheries Law of the People’s Republic of China, different localities, in accordance with their own realistic conditions, will focus on the formulation of local laws and regulations and local government regulations related to mariculture from the perspectives of environmental protection, regulating the order of industrial development and improving product quality, so as to build a sound and distinctive system of laws and regulations from macro to micro, so as to provide a solid legal basis for promoting China’s mariculture on the road to comprehensive legalization. This will provide a solid legal basis for promoting the legalization of mariculture in China.
3. Foster a modern Marine seed industry
The advanced Marine seed industry is the foundation of the healthy and sustainable development of mariculture industry and also a new Marine strategic industry with great development potential. To develop modern seed industry in China :(1) To strengthen the protection of wild populations of mariculture varieties. Establish the original species nature reserve, formulate relevant management measures to prevent overfishing, environmental deterioration, breeding groups or alien species invasion caused by population extinction or germplasm degradation, construction of Marine ecological pasture combined with scientific release, and actively protect and restore the diversity of biological communities. (2) To strengthen the research of the core technology of Marine breeding. Based on market demand, we should give full play to the scientific and technological advantages of existing research institutions, select “technical bottlenecks” that have extensive influence and obvious economic and social benefits to carry out joint technological breakthroughs, promote the integration and sharing of superior breeding resources, and build a market-oriented Marine improved seed research and development system. (3) Accelerate the establishment of the “breeding, propagation and promotion” Marine seed system with enterprises as the main body. Encourage enterprises and research institutions to carry out flexible cooperation in various aspects, and jointly develop commercial aquatic product research and development plans. Promote enterprises to increase their own technology research and development investment, the construction of enterprise original seed research and development center and original seed farms, strengthen their own technological innovation ability, take the initiative to carry out the commercialization of aquatic seed technology research and development, more to undertake the commercialization of seed production, sales of downstream industrial tasks. (4) Protect the intellectual property rights of Marine original thoroughbred species. Improve the Marine improved varieties intellectual property protection system with the new variety rights as the main, strengthen the variety right law enforcement, strengthen the patent protection and information service of new varieties, and strengthen the direct property protection of the original improved varieties of aquatic products.
4. Continuously promote the upgrading of breeding mode
We attach great importance to the possibility of the next mariculture revolution brought about by the upgrading of aquaculture modes, and comprehensively promote the improvement of traditional aquaculture modes and the test and promotion of new aquaculture modes. Promote cultivation mode upgrade content mainly includes the following aspects: (1) give full consideration to shallow sea breeding pond farming and traditional farming of raft stock base from the actual situation of large, widely used, its economic, social and livelihood of the people involved and ecological problems such as complex, breeding patterns change manufactures, can’t make one size fits all, need combined with the ecological environment protection, strengthen the offshore Research on the theory and technology of state aquaculture, improve the engineering level of offshore aquaculture, promote three-dimensional aquaculture in coastal zone, multi-nutrient level aquaculture in front sea, Marine pasture and other new aquaculture models to gradually replace the traditional planar aquaculture, improve the ecological benefits and production potential of offshore mariculture. ② Strengthen the research and integration of key aquaculture technologies such as deep sea cage aquaculture, aquaculture industrial vessel, subgrade factory aquaculture, improve aquaculture technology through scientific and technological innovation, reduce the production cost of emerging aquaculture modes, increase the promotion and demonstration of emerging aquaculture modes and formats, and accelerate the development of mariculture in the future strategic development space. (3) Explore the legal basis for carrying out deep sea aquaculture on the high seas, promote the integration of emerging aquaculture models such as deep sea cages and aquaculture vessels with other Marine undertakings such as national defense and environmental monitoring, and expand the function and connotation of mariculture under the historical conditions of the new era.
5. Implement the branding strategy to enhance the added value of products
Product quality is the final embodiment of industrial transformation and upgrading, and the level of added value of products determines the gold content of industrial model. In view of the problems of low economic value and low added value of mariculture products in China.It is urgent to implement the branding strategy. To sort out and screen the superior Marine fishery products in China, promote brand demonstration and positioning based on market mechanism, and build the matrix of “famous, excellent and special” brand products in mariculture industry by relying on pillar enterprises of the industry. Research on the construction of sinking sales channels for brand products, and use measures such as product traceability and government credit endorsement to empower brand products, improve the quality and added value of mariculture products, open the product level of the grass-roots market, regulate the market competition order, and drive the development of high-end fishery market. Research and construct the reverse feedback mechanism of brand effect, enhance the brand awareness of mariculture practitioners, promote the improvement and diversification of product quality standards, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the whole industrial chain of Marine fisheries and high-quality sustainable development.