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Review
. 2017 Feb;46(1):57-72.
doi: 10.1007/s13280-016-0819-0. Epub 2016 Sep 23.

What is at stake? Status and threats to South China Sea marine fisheries

Louise S L Teh  1 , Allison Witter  2 , William W L Cheung  3 , U Rashid Sumaila  2 , Xueying Yin  3
Affiliations
Review

What is at stake? Status and threats to South China Sea marine fisheries

Louise S L Teh et al. Ambio. 2017 Feb.

Abstract

Governance of South China Sea (SCS) fisheries remains weak despite acknowledgement of their widespread overexploitation for the past few decades. This review incorporates unreported fish catches to provide an improved baseline of the current status and societal contribution of SCS marine fisheries, so that the socio-economic and ecological consequences of continued fisheries unsustainability may be understood. Potential fisheries contribution to food and livelihoods include 11-17 million t in fisheries catch and USD 12-22 × 109 in fisheries landed value annually in the 2000s, and close to 3 million jobs. However, overfishing has resulted in biodiversity and habitat loss, and altered ecosystem trophic structures to a 'fished down' state. The present situation reiterates the urgency for fisheries policies that simultaneously address multiple political, social, economic, and biological dimensions at regional, national, and local scales. Importantly, improved cooperation between SCS nations, particularly in overcoming territorial disputes, is essential for effective regional fisheries governance.

Keywords: Fisheries sustainability; Governance; Marine fisheries; South China Sea.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map of the South China Sea (SCS). Note that the Gulf of Thailand is included as part of the SCS in this study. Source U.S. Energy Information Administration (2013)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Temporal trend in fisheries catch (solid line) and landed value (broken line) from the SCS and Gulf of Thailand Large Marine Ecosystems (1950–2010). Source Sea Around Us Project (2015) (www.seaaroundus.org)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Breakdown of SCS marine fisheries catch quantities (t) by country (2005–2010). Source National Fisheries Statistics of Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Thailand6; data for Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Hong Kong, and Singapore were extracted from SEAFDEC (2012)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
(a) Export quantity (million t) and (b) value (109 USD) of fish and fishery products from SCS countries (2000–2011). Source FAO FIGIS database (2015)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Mean maximum length of the catch for the South China Sea (solid line) and Gulf of Thailand (dashed line) LMEs for the period 1950–2010
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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