Zifei Liu

China is the world’s leading producer of abalone, a valuable fisheries resource with significant economic, social, and ecological benefits. This study examines the economic performance of abalone aquaculture in H Village, Lianjiang County, Fujian Province—a pivotal region in the industry. Using survey data and cost-benefit analysis, the study reveals that while abalone farming in the region generates a cost-profit margin of 15.79%, it faces challenges such as rising feed costs, genetic degradation, and limited product differentiation. Sensitivity analysis highlights the industry’s reliance on pricing and feed costs, with strategies for improvement including the development of advanced artificial baits, high-quality abalone varieties, optimized fiscal policies, and enhanced branding and deep processing. Findings underscore the critical need for innovation in production and marketing to sustain profitability amidst environmental and market challenges. This research contributes to understanding the dynamics of China’s abalone aquaculture sector and proposes actionable strategies to enhance its sustainability and economic resilience.

Shellfish is among the most widely consumed seafood products, providing essential nutritional benefits and playing a potential role in mitigating climate change. This study analyzes trends and factors influencing per capita shellfish consumption in the ten largest shellfish-producing countries from 1976 to 2022, using apparent consumption data and a fixed-effects panel model. The analysis explores the relationship between shellfish consumption and key economic and demographic factors, including per capita GDP, Engel’s coefficient, and the availability of substitute seafood products. Additionally, trade openness, population aging, and the greenhouse effect are incorporated as control variables. The findings reveal the following: (1) Global shellfish consumption has experienced moderate growth, primarily driven by China, Chile, and South Korea, whereas demand has declined in Japan, the U.S., and Spain. Consumption remained stable in New Zealand and Canada but fluctuated significantly in Peru. (2) The regression results indicate that per capita GDP and greenhouse gas emissions have a positive impact on per capita shellfish consumption, while Engel’s coefficient, the shellfish substitute index, fisheries trade openness, and an aging population are negatively correlated, with all relationships significant at the 1% level. (3) Robustness and heterogeneity results indicate that European and North American markets face saturation and stabilization challenges, while the greatest growth potential lies in developing countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, including China. To promote shellfish consumption and address regional supply imbalances, the study recommends enhancing international trade, fostering economic development, and capitalizing on the low-carbon advantages of shellfish aquaculture. Furthermore, investments in product innovation and cold chain logistics are essential for improving global resource allocation.

China is rich in fishery resources of large-scale water such as lakes, reservoirs, and river ditch, and large-scale fisheries play an important role in freshwater fisheries. Its area and output account for 46% and 15.42% of the national freshwater fisheries respectively. Both theory and practice show that large-scale fisheries have obviously multiple ecological, economic and social functions. In China, large-scale fisheries can be divided into five types that are industry convergence development, water ranch, environmental cage, reservoir water quality protection, repair ecology in lake. However, in recent years, the back-out of “seine, block, cage” with environmental storm has caused serious negative impacts. Compared with 2016, in 2018, the area of all kinds of large-scale ecological fisheries in the country has decreased by 11%-34%, and it faces social cognition bias, partial or individual short-term economic behavior, insufficient integration and other issues. Focusing on problems and combining the development goals of the new era of fisheries, drawing on typical successful experiences, four countermeasures including adhering to ecological priorities, increasing publicity, innovating institutional mechanisms, optimizing support policies, and building internal motivation are proposed to promote sustainable development of large-scale ecological fisheries.