{"title":"Chinese policy on fisheries subsidies: Evolution, challenges, and new prospects","authors":"Yichong Dong , Wei Liu , Jingmei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.marpol.2025.106826","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the evolution of China’s fisheries subsidies policy, with particular emphasis on its recent adjustments in light of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS). China’s fisheries subsidies policy has undergone five rounds of adjustments, which are the result of policymakers’ efforts to balance diverse objectives such as food security, economic growth, fishermen’s livelihood support, and sustainable development. Recent reforms reflect China’s efforts to align its policies with global sustainability standards. However, insufficient stock assessments, inadequate transparency, and issues concerning fishermen’s livelihoods may hinder the full realization of policy objectives. In the future, China’s fisheries subsidy policy can evolve towards greater transparency, regulation, and sustainability by enhancing management capacity, optimizing the subsidy structure, supporting the upgrading of the fisheries industry, and strengthening international cooperation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48427,"journal":{"name":"Marine Policy","volume":"181 ","pages":"Article 106826"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Marine Policy","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X25002416","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This paper examines the evolution of China’s fisheries subsidies policy, with particular emphasis on its recent adjustments in light of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS). China’s fisheries subsidies policy has undergone five rounds of adjustments, which are the result of policymakers’ efforts to balance diverse objectives such as food security, economic growth, fishermen’s livelihood support, and sustainable development. Recent reforms reflect China’s efforts to align its policies with global sustainability standards. However, insufficient stock assessments, inadequate transparency, and issues concerning fishermen’s livelihoods may hinder the full realization of policy objectives. In the future, China’s fisheries subsidy policy can evolve towards greater transparency, regulation, and sustainability by enhancing management capacity, optimizing the subsidy structure, supporting the upgrading of the fisheries industry, and strengthening international cooperation.
期刊介绍:
Marine Policy is the leading journal of ocean policy studies. It offers researchers, analysts and policy makers a unique combination of analyses in the principal social science disciplines relevant to the formulation of marine policy. Major articles are contributed by specialists in marine affairs, including marine economists and marine resource managers, political scientists, marine scientists, international lawyers, geographers and anthropologists. Drawing on their expertise and research, the journal covers: international, regional and national marine policies; institutional arrangements for the management and regulation of marine activities, including fisheries and shipping; conflict resolution; marine pollution and environment; conservation and use of marine resources. Regular features of Marine Policy include research reports, conference reports and reports on current developments to keep readers up-to-date with the latest developments and research in ocean affairs.