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[China] Statistics for China's Fishing Output Credible: Official
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China
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In General
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Research
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2001.12.20
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The figure for China's marine fishing output reported to the international
community is accurate, said a senior official with the Ministry of
Agriculture Monday.
The statistics for the country's total fishing output are based on
information collected from the lowest administrations to the central
government, said Yang Jian, director-general of the Bureau of Fisheries
under the Ministry.
What the fisheries authorities do strictly follows China's Statistical
regulations as set by the State Statistical Bureau though the method used
differs from the internationally accepted sampling survey, he added.
Reg Watson and Daniel Paulty, two Canadian scientists, published a research
paper in the British-based Nature Magazine on November 29 this year,
saying that since the 1980s China has reported a fishing output higher
than it actually was to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture
Organization.
The statistics from China raised the figures for the total world fishing
output and gave a false global evaluation of fishery resources, which have
been shrinking, they said.
China has seen a rapid growth in its fishing output in the past 20 years
as fishing remains a profitable business here, Yang said. The total number
of fishing boats in the country has risen from 49,000 in 1980 to over
280,000 last year.
"Fishing in China has its own characteristics so that foreign scientists'
sampling patterns may not fit China," he said, "For example, people in
other countries may not eat jellyfish and crab as regularly as the Chinese
and the output of these two aquatic products account for a considerable
portion of our total output."
China's method of collecting statistics also has problems and the
government would like to improve it with the joint efforts of international
organizations, he said.
The total fishing output of China dropped by 1.35 percent last year for
the first time and Yang said it expects further decrease this year.
The Chinese Government has paid great attention to its fishery resources
over the years. China has issued a 2-to-3-month ban on commercial fishing
nationwide and more than 130,000 fishing boats were forced to stay in port
during this year's ban leaving about one million fishermen temporarily
idle.
The total number of fishing boats has remained stable in China since 1998
and the government plans to ban 30,000 boats from operating over the next
five years.
XinHua News Agency(2001/12/19)
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