5.1.1 Employment and opportunities
Fisheries and related occupations are an important source of livelihood in rural areas of China. In 1994, total fisheries population was about 16.04 million, accounting for 1.3 percent of the total agriculture population. Around 10 million were engaged in fisheries, representing about 3.3 percent of the total labour force in the agriculture sector, of which 400,000 were employed by State-owned fisheries enterprises and 9.6 million engaged in small collectives or individual fisheries. About 60 percent were part-time labourers in small fisheries. Full-time labourers made up 4.74 million of whom 1.61 million were engaged in capture fisheries, 2.66 million in aquaculture and 0.47 million in relative logistics work. Close to 2.3 million were full-time labourers engaged in inland aquaculture and 365,933 full-time labourers engaged in mariculture.
The country's total fisheries production increased from 4.7 million mt in 1978 to 21.46 million mt in 1994 and the average income of a full-time fisheries labourer substantially increased from 263 yuan to 5,840 yuan in the same period, resulting in a rapid increase of labour force in fisheries. During 1979-1992, about 776,000 new entrants mainly engaged in aquaculture were recorded. About 60 percent of the new entrants came from the jobless poor. Thus the development of aquaculture has played an important role in absorbing rural surplus labour and alleviating poverty.
5.1.2 Prospect for creating jobs
The further development of aquaculture in the coming years no doubt will create jobs. Based on present fishfarming practice, on average, one ha fishpond is run by two skilled labourers and four subsidiaries to complete the whole production cycle including fishpond maintenance, fry and fingerling propagation and rearing, feed preparation and feeding, diseases prevention and treatment, harvesting and marketing. In other words, each ha of fishpond can generate six job opportunities.
It is anticipated that 10 percent of untapped low-lying and saline-alkali land (about 300,000 ha) will be exploited in the next ten years. Apart from construction of farmland, roads, dikes, and canals, 150,000 ha fishponds will be constructed, thus generating 900,000 jobs. Similarly, all other aquaculture systems are expected expand and intensify and are expected to create job opportunities in rural China.
Along with the promotion and extension of aquaculture technologies, production per unit area increased tremendously, thus increasing income of fishfarmers. In fact, aquaculture development in previously poor rural areas, have been successful, changing the face of the area. For instance, in Weinan district of Shanxi Province 140 large fish farms with 1,200 ha fishponds have been established, and their annual production now is more than 5,000 mt. The total production value including aquaculture, animal husbandry and agriculture was nearly 100 million yuan. It afforded a livelihood to 1,450 poor households and 5,400 labourers. Mengjin county of Henan Province built up 367 ha fishponds and produced 1,265 mt of fish in 1990. Together with to the revenue from agriculture and animal husbandry, the total farm production value reached 8.7 million yuan, 236 households became rich. Nowadays, developing aquaculture is considered as one of the most effective ways of getting rich in the rural areas.
Fish culture in paddy fields also increases yield of rice and provides farmers with additional income. In 1990, Chongqing city of Sichuan Province expanded fish culture in paddy fields in more than 16,000 ha; average production value increased by 1,780 yuan per ha and net profit by 1,270 yuan per ha.
The development and promotion of integrated fish culture system is an important way to increase farmers' income. In 1990, in Gauzhou county of Guangdong Province, 1,958 specialised fish culture households farmed on 1,273 ha and produced 6,395 mt of fish from 822 ha fishponds, 10,410 mt of meat and fowl and 1,580 mt of eggs with a total income of 67.30 million yuan. These indicate a net profit of 3,849 yuan per household.
Women account for more than one-third of the total labour force in aquaculture. They are making a significant contribution to aquaculture development as well as towards increased family income.
Although China's fisheries production ranks first in the world, per capita fish consumption is lower than the world average. In 1992, it was 8.0 kg. The share of animal protein in the total protein intake is only about 10 percent, which is far below the world average 34.3 percent, and the contribution of fish to the animal protein intake in China is only about 20 percent. With the increase of income and enhancement of purchasing power, the people's demands for high protein and low fat food, particularly for fisheries products will become higher.
5.4.1 Progress made by aquaculture extension services
Remarkable progress has been made in aquaculture extension services.
The High-Yield Pond Fish Culture Technology model which includes fishpond reform, introduction of high quality species, high quality feed formulation and processing, and diseases prevention and treatment in a completed package during 1989-1993 has been extended to 9.8 million ha pond area, with a production of 591,000 mt of fish. Of the above production, 182,100 mt was attributed to extension services. The production value rose by 889 million yuan and net profit by 452 million yuan.
In the past four years, rice-cum-fish culture has been extended to one million ha paddy fields. Production was 24,800 mt fish valued at 200 million yuan. Net profit was 107 million yuan.
During the period 1988-1992, production in a 36,000-ha shrimp culture area increased by 20,000 mt because of extension services.
It has been recognised that a rise of fisheries production due to advanced science and technology amounted to 30 percent during the Sixth Five-Year Plan period (1980-1985) and 43 percent in Seventh Five-Year Plan period (1986-1990). However, extension services have been responsible for the application of 70 percent of scientific research achievements in fisheries production. Progress made by scientific research and extension services has become a potent force in the development of aquaculture.
5.4.2 Problem and constraints
In spite of the significant developments in the dissemination of aquaculture technology and extension services, lack of professional personnel is still a problem. Over 70 percent of the increase of fisheries production in the next five years will come from the development of inland aquaculture, but at present only 10,000 technicians with a secondary school background are working in this field. On average, one technician covers 390 ha of cultured water area, and most of them are working in units above county level. Lack of on-the-spot technicians is also a felt need in capture fisheries extension.
Expansion of culture area will still be an important factor in increasing production in the near future. New entrants in newly developed areas have had little or no aquaculture training and education. This is one of the major constraints to further expansion of aquaculture. Fisheries education and training must be oriented to aquaculture development.
Seed is one of the basic elements of culture. In the past the Yangtze River provided 20 billion natural fry of silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp and black carp every year. But at present, the River Yangtze only provides one billion due to environmental changes caused by construction of dams, culverts, etc. Most of the seed mainly come from artificial breeding. Insufficient seed supply is also a bottleneck for large-scale development. On the other hand, the problem of seed quality deterioration has become more serious. The Freshwater Fish Germplasm Resources and Biotechnological Laboratory established under the Chinese Academy of Fishery Science will play an active role in this respect, but the problem will remain there for a period of time. Improvement of old varieties and selection of improved varieties of fish have become very important.
The technologies of various aquaculture systems are well developed in the country. To increase production per unit area, extensive/semi-intensive systems should be gradually shifted to intensive systems. Fish diseases occurred both in the hatchery and grow-out phase in the intensive systems more frequently than before; this has resulted in significant economic losses to producers. Considerable work has to be done on fish disease prevention and treatment with special emphasis on those of shrimp culture and other culture species of high value.
Increasing population growth, the construction of infrastructure in large cities, discharge of industrial and municipal wastewater, numerous water conservation projects, wide application of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, land reclamation -- all these have brought about great changes in aquaculture environment. The pollution problem has become more serious. Deterioration of water quality will seriously endanger the development of aquaculture. The strengthening of enforcement of the "Law of Prevention and Treatment of Water Pollution in the People's Republic of China," which was issued in 1984, is of extreme importance.
Inadequate supply of production inputs (especially fishfeed ingredients), and lack of fish processing facilities, marketing mechanism and transportation facilities will hinder aquaculture development.
5.4.3 Potentials for expanded aquaculture
After developing at a rapid pace for 17 years, aquaculture in China still has much room for further development.
Vast water areas with great potential for expanded aquaculture are still available. Of 8 million ha of large and medium inland water bodies, only a little over 2 million ha are being cultured. Along the 18,000-km coastline in mainland China, about 1.33 million ha are shallow waters and mudflats, of which only 35 percent has been utilised. Statistics show that there are 11.3 million ha of low-lying marshlands in the country, of which 3 million ha are cultivable and on which large-scale fish production bases can be constructed. Productivity per unit area can be still increased in the present cultured areas by disseminating information on improved culture technologies and intensive culture systems.
It is estimated that the annual growth rate of agriculture labour will be 1.5 percent in the coming 10 years, or 7 million in annual increment. No doubt, sufficient manpower will be provided for aquaculture development. High market demand and relatively high profit will continue to stimulate the development of aquaculture for some time to come.
