Analysis on the relationship between fisheries economic growth and marine environmental pollution in China's coastal regions

Abstract

The rapid development of China's fisheries economy is accompanied by intensified marine environmental pollution over the period covered by this study. Based on data from multiple sources, this paper attempts to measure the relationship between fisheries economic growth and marine environmental pollution among China's coastal regions over the past 17 years. For this purpose, it firstly quantifies changes in fisheries economy and fisheries population. It then goes onto comparing the degree of changes in fisheries economy and marine environment. Finally, it depicts the relationship between fisheries added value (FAV) and polluted marine area (PMA) and between per capita net income of fishermen (PCNIF) and PMA ratio. Results suggest thati)the compound annual growth rate of FAV, FAV per capita, and fisheries population are 8.35%, 8.61%, and −0.24%, respectively;ii)the difference of FAV per capita increases significantly over time, while that of PMA and PMA ratio decreases moderately;iii)the relationship between FAV and PMA and between PCNIF and PMA ratio in all China's Seas and in the East China Sea show the same inverted N-shape while in the South China Sea inverted U-shape. In the Bohai and Yellow Sea, the former's relationship exhibits inverted U-shape, with the latter's N-shape.