8.1 Highlights of Past Development Projects and Their Socio-economic Impacts
8.2 Current and Planned Projects
In this decade under the 8th and 9th Five Year Plans, the State is implementing the national fisheries “Bumper Harvest Plan”, “Thriving Agriculture Through Science and Technology Plan”, “Fisheries Technology Extension Plan Through the Ministry of Agriculture and Local Government”. Under these plans, many programmes/projects of rural aquaculture development are being implemented with great successes. From 1989-1996, under the above plans, 137 projects were organized and implemented covering a total of 443 866 ha culture area. The yields of fish, prawn, shellfish, seaweeds and new species with high value amounted to 582 000 mt, with output value of 4.57 billion yuan and tax contribution of 1.32 billion yuan. The major projects were as follows:
i) High-yielding integrated culture in freshwater ponds: the projects have been carried out in vast areas. The implemented area totalled more than 106 000 ha, and production increased by more than 200 000 mt with output value of 1 billion yuan only through the fisheries “Bumper Harvest Plan”. This gave an enormous impetus to the development of freshwater pond culture and their intensification and standardization. Fish pond culture area rose up from 1.415 million ha in 1990 to 1.96 million ha in 1996; average output per ha increased from 2 380.5 kg to 4 104 kg. Accordingly, the total pond fish output went up from 3.37 million mt to 8.042 million mt in the country. Number of species cultured were increased and some high-value and well-liked species such as tilapia, prussian carp, giant freshwater prawn, shrimp, river crab, California freshwater perch, channel catfish, soft-shelled turtle, etc. were included. In 1996, river crab and soft-shelled turtle output reached 63 000 mt and 32 000 mt respectively with enormous economic benefits.ii) Paddy field fish culture: the projects set off a new upsurge in paddy field fish culture throughout the country. The culture area went up from 733 000 ha in 1990 to 1 445 000 ha in 1996; output per unit area increased from 177 kg/ha to 312 kg/ha. Not only carp species but high-value and speciality species were also cultured in paddy fields. As a result, the gains from fish culture averaged 3 600 yuan per ha.
iii) Prevention and treatment of prawn diseases: major efforts were made to apply advanced prawn culture technology from foreign countries. In 1994, projects called “Demonstration of Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment of Culture of Prawn Diseases” under the national fisheries “Bumper Harvest Plan” were established. These projects played an important part in prawn culture rehabilitation. In 1996, prawn production in the country was 89 000 mt against 64 000 mt in 1994, restoring the production level of 1993.
iv) Transplantation and enhancement of large icefish: In recent years, in spite of the fact that the large icefish output in the original major production areas such as Taihu Lake decreased, the large icefish output still went up from 6 000 mt in 1994 to more than 9 000 mt in 1996. Technology of large icefish transplantation and enhancement was extended from 18 to 31 provinces. Transplantation area was expanded from 266 000 ha to 1.333 million ha. In 1996, the culture area of this project in Qingdao was 4 400 ha with 42.9 million fertilized eggs stocked. The project produced 132.8 mt large icefish from 8 reservoirs. The selling price was 90 000 yuan/mt and the project made a net income of 9 170 200 yuan. The ratio of input to output was 1:8.5. Now with the expansion of large icefish culture areas, the annual production is expected to reach 200 mt with a net income of about 16 million yuan.
v) Development and exploitation of low-lying saline-alkaline land areas: The projects did a remarkable job, most of all in Shandong Province. In this province there are 666 000 ha saline-alkaline land suitable for exploitation. In recent years, 133 000 ha low-lying land has been exploited by way of digging ponds for fish culture and planting crops in raised fields. Of the 133 000 ha, the raised field constituted 66 000 ha and water surface for fish culture was about 46 600 ha. The total income exceeded 2.1 billion yuan. Fish output reached 280 000 mt with output value of 1.4 billion yuan equivalent to the output of 233 000 ha cultivated field. In the exploitation of these lands, the governments at different levels adopted contract responsibility system, and stuck to the principle of “the exploiter must be the runner and beneficiary”. The contract term was for 30 years. In the first 5 years, agricultural taxes and agricultural special taxes were reduced or remitted. This form of comprehensive exploitation is beneficial to improving ecological environment and raising rate of land utilization. It has become an important way for the people living in the districts along the Yellow River to improve their household income through fish culture.
vi) Net cage culture: owing to the extension of net cage culture projects, large and medium-sized freshwater bodies were more effectively utilized, and culture production of valuable marine fish species was also increased rapidly. Anhui Province took net cage culture seriously. Therefore net cage culture area increased from less than 13.3 ha in 1985 to 93.4 ha in 1996. From then on net cage culture became one of the main economic activities in the poverty-stricken rural communities. The number of net cages for culturing high priced fish in Guangdong Province was 19 000 in 1989 with a production of 1 384 mt. There were 6 000 and 4 000 cages in Fujian and Hainan provinces respectively. The net cage culture area throughout the country in 1988 stood at 666 ha and doubled in 1989. After carrying out the “Bumper Harvest Plan” extension project of net cage fish culture in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, net cage culture area increased at an average rate of 84% a year during 1990-1995. In 1996, the area reached 33.7 ha with a yearly production of more than 155 000 mt. Fifty thousand residents living along reservoirs who only owned 0.02 ha unfertile land per person, formerly lived on the relief granted by the government authorities throughout the year. In 1996, 89% of the population emerged from poverty by going in for net cage fish culture. The development of net cage culture has brought along the development of fish seed and feed production. Now, in the city there are 28 hatcheries, 1.73 ha temperate running water fingerling rearing ponds and 42 feed and additive factories with an annual production of 31 000 mt pellet feed and 200 mt additive. There also are 160 trucks for transportation of live fish. The high-density net cage fish culture technology has brought economic prosperity to many depressed, poverty stricken rural communities.
Until the Year 2000, the fisheries “Bumper Harvest Plan”, “Thriving Agriculture Through Science And Technology Plan” and “Plan of Important Fisheries Technology Extension by Ministry of Agriculture” will continue to be carried out to promote rural aquaculture in the country. And under the framework of the above plans, more projects will be drawn up and put into effect with stress on increasing production per unit area, improvement of culture facilities, improvement of auxiliary services, popularization of speciality species culture, strengthening of disease prevention and treatment; standardization of culture practices, etc. To further expand culture area, efforts must be devoted to utilization of uncultivated land resources and large water bodies suitable for aquaculture. Some of the major projects that are being planned for promoting rural aquaculture development are mentioned below:
i) Project on disease prevention and treatment: To promote good health management, disease control and treatment, the project will cover 400 000 ha.ii) Project on high-yield and high-efficiency integrated culture: 200 000 ha will be brought under this project. Efforts will be made to promote mixed culture and culture in rotation; combination of aquaculture with agriculture and animal husbandry; low input and high output; energy saving; full utilization of local resources; etc.
iii) Project on paddy field fish culture: stress will be put on expansion of culture area by 333 333 ha, increase in number of culture species and mixed culture. Efforts will be made to turn paddy cultivation into an important way to develop freshwater fish culture in the western part of the country.
iv) Exploitation and utilization of land resources suitable for aquaculture: The main objective is to expand aquaculture in low-lying saline-alkaline land and bring 15 million ha under aquaculture operation.
v) Development of shallow sea and mudflat culture along the Bohai Bay in Shandong and Liaoning provinces: This region includes two islands and one bay. It is an important region for marine culture and resources enhancement. Shallow sea and mudflat culture will be further developed with emphasis on culture of prawn and other high-value species culture. A project on “Marine Culture and Resources Management in the Northern China” supported by the Asian Development Bank is being carried out in this region.
vi) Comprehensive development of large- and medium-sized lakes and reservoirs: Emphasis will be placed on the development of culture of fish in large lakes and reservoirs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Also encouraged will be the development of “three nets” (net cage, net enclosure and net screen) culture so as to combine extensive culture with intensive culture in large and medium water bodies.
vii) Genetic improvement of cultured species and production of quality seed: Centres for genetic improvement of species and centres for more advanced hatcheries will be established mainly along the Yangtze River, Pearl River and Heilongjiang River, to take full advantage of rich germplasm resources pool. The traditional culture species will be rejuvenated. Seed propogation and supply capability of new species will be strengthened, and hatcheries will be modernized for increasing production efficiency and for quality seed production.
viii) Establishment of new and improvement of old fish disease prevention and treatment stations: The existing stations will be upgraded both with equipment and expertise and new places will be selected in provinces and/or prefectures suitable for the establishment of fish disease prevention and treatment stations.
ix) Establishing and strengthening monitoring and management capacity of fisheries environment: Efforts will be made to monitor water quality of culture areas, avoid water pollution, prevent and reduce self-pollution caused by culture activities with a view to ensuring a healthy aquatic environment for sustainable aquaculture development.
