Modern fisheries showed sound development in the first half of the year, opening up a new situation

Since 2014, fisheries departments at all levels across the country have earnestly studied and deeply grasped the spirit of State Council Document No. [2013] 11 and the State Council's national teleconference on modern fisheries development, carried out implementation in light of local conditions, seized the momentum, and opened up a new situation in modern fisheries development. Statistics show that the first half of 2014 continued the sound momentum of fisheries development since the “12th Five-Year Plan”.

I. Rapid growth of the fisheries economy

Statistics show that in the first half of 2014, the total output value of the fisheries economy of the whole society was 750.188 billion yuan, with an added value of 352.158 billion yuan, up 6.59% and 6.35% respectively over the same period of the previous year. Among this, the output value of fisheries was 392.097 billion yuan, with an added value of 213.368 billion yuan, up 7.90% and 8.24% respectively over the same period of the previous year; the output value of fisheries industry and construction was 184.157 billion yuan, with an added value of 62.308 billion yuan, up 3.88% and 0.02% respectively over the same period of the previous year; the output value of fisheries circulation and services was 173.934 billion yuan, with an added value of 76.482 billion yuan, up 6.61% and 6.65% respectively over the same period of the previous year.

II. Steady development of fisheries production

Sufficient supply of aquatic products. According to monthly report data from 20 major fisheries-producing provinces nationwide, from January to June the national output of aquatic products was 26.1638 million tons, up 3.40% year on year, among which aquaculture output was 20.3050 million tons, up 4.43% year on year, and capture output was 5.8588 million tons, down 0.03% year on year. According to another survey, the development of distant-water fisheries showed outstanding highlights, with total output of 476,600 tons in the first quarter, up 64% year on year, and the benefits of 329 distant-water fishing vessels newly put into operation last year began to emerge. According to statistics on transactions at 47 comparable aquatic product wholesale markets, in the first half of 2014 the transaction volume of aquatic products was 3.5953 million tons, up 2.92% year on year; the transaction value was 78.704 billion yuan, up 9.29% year on year.

Steady growth of aquaculture area. The aquaculture area was 7.6298 million hectares, up 3.81% over the same period of the previous year. Among this, the marine aquaculture area was 1.5957 million hectares, down 0.88% over the same period of the previous year; the freshwater aquaculture area was 6.3250 million hectares, up 5.07% over the same period of the previous year. Within the freshwater aquaculture area, the pond aquaculture area was 2.6698 million hectares, up 3.17% over the same period of the previous year.

III. Overall stability of aquatic product prices

In the first half of this year, the aquatic product market was basically stable. Although under the influence of downward economic pressure and the policy environment, sales of famous, special and high-quality products decreased and prices fell, transactions in major bulk varieties remained active, and the overall market saw both brisk buying and selling. According to statistics on transaction prices at 80 aquatic product wholesale markets nationwide, the comprehensive average price at aquatic product wholesale markets was generally stable, but the price fluctuations of individual varieties were relatively large. In the first half of 2014, the comprehensive average price at aquatic product wholesale markets was 22.42 yuan/kg, up 3.71% year on year. Among this, the comprehensive average price of marine products was 41.52 yuan/kg, up 4.16% year on year; the comprehensive average price of freshwater products was 15.09 yuan/kg, up 3.18% year on year. Among the 49 monitored varieties, 34 varieties saw year-on-year price increases or remained flat; 15 varieties saw year-on-year price declines, among which 4 varieties fell by more than 10%. A relatively obvious example is abalone, whose price continued to slide due to increased output and reduced consumption, with the price in the first half of the year down 22.4% year on year.

IV. Stabilization and recovery of aquatic product trade

Affected by the factor of arbitrage trade in the same period of 2013 raising the base, aquatic product export data showed a downward trend at the beginning of the year. However, after entering March, an obvious rebound began to appear, and aquatic product trade stabilized and recovered. According to customs statistics, in the first half of the year the total import and export volume of aquatic products was 4.1403 million tons, and the total import and export value was 14.401 billion US dollars, up 4.98% and 5.06% respectively year on year. Among this, the export volume was 1.8645 million tons, down 0.7% year on year, and the export value was 9.815 billion US dollars, up 2.3% year on year; the import volume was 2.2758 million tons, and the import value was 4.585 billion US dollars, up 10.14% and 11.51% respectively year on year.

V. Sound fisheries safety situation

All localities attached great importance to fisheries safety supervision, strengthened aquatic product quality and safety management, and ensured that no major or extraordinarily serious fisheries safety production accidents occurred during major holidays such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, May Day and Dragon Boat Festival. In the first half of the year, the fisheries safety production situation remained generally stable. From January to June, there were 87 fisheries vessel accidents on the water nationwide, with 86 deaths (missing), down 14.5 incidents and 51 people respectively compared with the same period of the previous year. Among this, there were 75 fisheries vessel production safety accidents on the water, with 61 deaths (missing), down 11 incidents and 27 people respectively compared with the same period of the previous year; there were 4 water traffic accidents, with 11 deaths (missing), down 2.5 incidents and 27 people respectively compared with the same period of the previous year; there were 7 natural disaster accidents, with 6 deaths (missing), down 2 incidents and 5 people respectively year on year; and there was 1 special vessel accident, with 8 deaths (missing), up 1 incident and 8 people respectively year on year.

In the second half of the year, bulk freshwater products will be concentrated in grow-out and brought to market, and according to the patterns of previous years prices will also decline somewhat, but due to continuously rising production costs, prices are expected to remain higher than the same period of the previous year. The consumption environment for famous, special and high-quality products has not seen obvious improvement, and prices may remain sluggish. What is noteworthy is that the frequent natural disasters in the recent period have had an increasingly obvious impact on fisheries. The super typhoon that just passed through

“Rammasun” has already caused serious damage to aquaculture in multiple provinces and cities in southern China. In the coming typhoon-prone season, aquaculture will still face many uncertain factors, and aquatic product prices will also fluctuate accordingly. However, given that China's fisheries production scale has remained relatively stable for many years, in the absence of major natural disasters and emergencies, the supply of aquatic products is guaranteed, and the annual output of aquatic products is expected to reach more than 63 million tons.