Fisheries subsidies in China

As the world’s largest producer of wild catch, China’s fishing activities have a significant impact on the sustainability of not only domestic but also global fish stocks. China also provides substantial subsidies to its fishing operations. In 2013, the Chinese central government spent RMB 40.383 billion (or $6.5 billion) on fisheries subsidies. Most of this amount—94 percent—was in the form of fuel subsidies. This study asked whether China’s subsidies policies align with the country’s stated goals in fisheries management by examining China’s fisheries policy coherence, and found that about 95 percent of Chinese fisheries subsidies were harmful to sustainability.