In October 2011, the MOA published its 12th Five Year (2011-2015) Development Plan for Fishery.
Significant targets under the plan include: meeting the rapid growing demand for quality aquatic products by domestic consumers, emphasizing the balance between aquaculture development and ecological protection, reconstructing and standardizing 1,333,000 Ha of aquaculture ponds to raise productivity, achieving safety/quality targets for 98 percent of aquatic products, maintaining stable of growing marine fishery output in other territorial seas with target production of 1.3 million tons per year, up from 2010’s output of 1.1 million tons, licensing aquaculture production facilities (100 percent) by 2015, raising production to 60 million tons by 2015, with 75 percent from aquaculture (as compared to estimated 72 percent in 2011)
MOA has established agricultural product quality test stations in 1,200 counties (out of the total more than 2,400 counties) nationwide to supervise quality. To ensure the quality of aquatic products for export, MOA and the Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ) adopted a strict licensing regime for all export-oriented farms and processing establishments. MOA and AQSIQ conduct frequent field audits and aquatic products for export are subject to mandatory inspection and must be accompanied by AQSIQ inspection certificates.
Total Aquatic Products Production
Total 2012 aquatic production is estimated to increase four percent over last year to reach 58 million tons, compared to the 56 million tons in 2011 and 53.7 million tons in 2010. Fish production accounts for 59 percent of the total aquatic production, followed by shellfish and crustaceans at 22.6 and 10 percent, respectively. Fish production is expected to continue its upward growth trend to reach 34.5 million tons in 2012, up from 33 million tons in 2011 and 31.3 million tons in 2010.
Aquaculture
China remains the world largest aquaculture producer with total cultured aquatic production accounting for about 70 percent of the world total in recent years, based on industry sources. Total aquaculture water area reached 7.83 million hectares (MHa) in 2011 from 7.65 MHa in the previous year, with the majority (164,000 Ha) expansion in freshwater facilities. While the majority of cultured facilities are fresh water due to available natural resources, growth in seawater facilities has outpaced that of freshwater facilities over the past four years, rising 33 percent between 2008 and 2011, compared to 15 percent for freshwater.
Aquaculture Area Growth Slowing
Overall, investment in facility expansion is slowing, with 2011’s 2.5 percent expansion cooling significantly from 2009’s 14 percent expansion. Government officials relate that environmental concerns and the rapid industrialization/urbanization of China’s coastal region are hampering further aquaculture expansion.