Research on the job transfer pathway of Chinese marine fishermen and its driving factors

Abstract

China is a massive country with a large number of fishermen. With the continuous improvement of fishing technology, a timely transfer of surplus fishing labor is important in protecting natural fishery resources. Using data from the China Fishery Statistical Yearbook, the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the regional economic database of China, and the statistical yearbooks of various provinces and cities, this study performs a Granger causality test to analyze the job transfer pathway of fishermen, combines labor transfer theory with the characteristics of marine fishing production to build a theoretical framework for analyzing those factors that drive the conversion of marine fishermen, and uses a panel data model for an empirical analysis. Results show that (1) non-marine fisheries and part-time industries are the main pathways for the conversion of marine fishermen; (2) the technological progress of capture fisheries is an important driver of the conversion of marine fishermen; (3) the continued urbanization, increase in the number of part-time jobs, and the income gap between marine fishermen and rural residents are important factors that hinder such conversion; (4) the investment in fixed assets per capita of fishermen and their per capita income do not significantly affect the conversion of fishermen; and (5) the significant effect of the income gap between marine fishermen and urban residents on the conversion behavior of the former is not supported by any evidence. This article also suggests some countermeasures for promoting the conversion of fishermen.