Fishing Deals cut Number of Mariners

China will have to find work for tens of thousands of fisherman who will lose their jobs because of the implementation of new fishing agreements, according to Zhang Hecheng, vice-director of the Fisheries Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture.

China has signed international fishing treaties with Japan and South Korea this year and hopes to agree another deal with Viet Nam over the Beibu Gulf, Zhang said Friday.

These arrangements will result in tens of thousands of Chinese ships having to find work in other sectors and will cut the country's annual fishing output by more than 1 million tons, according to Zhang's bureau, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture that oversees the country's fishing industry.

Under rules enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China ratified in 1996, every coastal nation is allowed jurisdiction over resources up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its shores, Zhang said.

China will sign fishing agreements with neighboring countries with which it shares seas, but where there is less than 400 nautical miles between them.

Experts believe this situation will force more Chinese fishing vessels out of business, increasing the number of redundant fishermen and reducing catches.

A provisional fishing pact between China and Japan took effect on June 1, a similar deal with South Korea was signed in August 3. An agreement with Viet Nam over the demarcation of the Beibu Gulf is expected to be worked out soon, according to Wang Xiaodu of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Upon the implementation of the agreements with the three countries, China will see at least 300,000 fishermen move out of the fishery sector for jobs elsewhere. The lives of nearly 1 million people in ports and villages will be affected," Zhang said.

In Shandong Province alone annual losses could amount to 1.2 billion yuan (US$144 million) as many vessels are decommissioned in areas such as Cheju Island, according to Tang Houcheng, president of the Rongcheng Fishery Association.

Since marine fishing is the main industry in coastal regions and uses huge amounts of rural labourers, Zhang said the new situation could threaten coastal economic growth and could also lead to social problems.

Furthermore, an increasing number of ships not allowed to fish in open seas will turn to fishing in offshore waters, which will affect already dwindling fish stocks in those areas, he said.

To accommodate the changes brought in because of the "exclusive economic zone system," China will readjust the economy in coastal fishing regions, the vice-director said.

"Fishermen affected because of this new system will be helped to set up fish farms, processing plants, or encouraged to get involved in ocean fishing or non-fishing businesses," he said.

He appealed to related government departments to offer backing in terms of funds, credit and taxation policies to the affected regions.

A system to scrap fishing vessels, especially those withdrawn under the new agreements, will be introduced to curb offshore overfishing, he said. (China Daily)






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