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THE IMPORTANCE OF MARINE RECREATIONAL

FISHING IN SHANGHAI1

CHEN Ye2

(College of Economies & Management, Shanghai Ocean University)

Abstract

Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. Recreational

fishing can advance fisheries technology and benefits related industries. Recreational fishing can

also diversify and increase the income of fishermen. Recreational fishing promotes mutual

understanding between urban dwellers and fishermen, which is important to “Harmonious Society”.

Last but not least, recreational fishing can raise ordinary people’s awareness of the importance of

environment protection and territorial waters, which is especially important after China outlined the

"maritime power strategy” in 2012. Shanghai, the most modern city in China, is just beside East

China Sea (Shanghai means “Upon-the-Sea” in Chinese language). Shanghai is also the birthplace of

China’s tourism industry. Shanghainese spent a lot of money on tourism annually. Recreational

fishing has the potential to be a big and profitable industry in Shanghai. As people’s income

increases, the value of recreational fishing in Shanghai will became more obvious. To order to

promote the development of marine recreational fishing, the municipal governance of Shanghai

should cooperate with neighboring provinces, set up laws and regulation and promote the

development of related industries.

Key Words： marine recreational fishing Shanghai

What is Marine Recreational Fishing?

Recreational fishing, also called sport fisheries, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be

contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit, or subsistence fishing, which is

fishing for survival. The most common form of recreational fishing is done with a rod, reel, line,

hooks and any one of a wide range of baits. When location of creational fishing goes to sea, it

becomes marine recreational fishing.

Marine recreational fishing is very important to civilization. The National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries appreciates that recreational fishing is part of the

history and fabric of American nation and wants to continue to improve upon this great tradition.

Fishing has always been an important social activity promoting stronger families and communities,

providing both employment and a way of life for many, and serving as a large economic driver at all

levels—locally, regionally, and nationally. Recent estimates indicate there are approximately 12

million saltwater recreational anglers taking about 85 million trips a year. Combined, expenditures

total $31 billion dollars, representing an $82 billion dollar impact and supporting half a million jobs.

Just as important is the legacy of recreational fishermen as conservationists concerned about the

health and sustainability of the marine environment. By practicing catch and release techniques,

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advocating for and participating in the development of better fisheries data and science, improving

habitat, and engaging in the policy process, recreational anglers continue to effect positive change

and ensure their voice is heard3.

In traditional Chinese culture, the fishermen were always compared to hermits because of their

free way of live. Many poems were written and paintings were painted to extol the life of fishermen.

The Benefits of the Marine Recreational Fishing in China

Benefiting the Development of Related Industries

Developing marine recreational fishing industry involve in the advance in other related

industries. Without advanced ships, the fisheries industry will not be sophisticated. The demand from

the marine recreational fishing consumers put up the demand for high-tech fishing or related

technology and equipment.

Oceanology International, the Asia’s Premier event for marine science and ocean technology,

was held in Shanghai 3-5 September, 2013. Lots of advanced fishing equipments were displayed in

the show. Oceanology International won lots of visters.

Fig.1: Oceanology International in Shanghai

Diversifying and Increasing the Income of Fishermen

China is a developing nation; even ordinary people can only earn a mere income, let alone the

fishermen. With the deterioration of natural resources in the sea, it becomes more and more difficult

for Chinese fishermen to catch fish there. According to our survey in Lusi, a fishing village in

Jiangsu Provence, it only need one day for the fishermen to catch a ship of fish in the past, but it

takes near a week for the fishermen to catch a ship of fish now. With the decline in the amount of

fish that the fishermen caught, their income decline. In order to protect the fish species, Chinese

government has issues many rules and regulations to limit the amount of fish caught, which push the

fishermen into even worsen situation. The fishermen must find new ways to win their breads, and

they face the challenge of transformation. Some fishermen turned to recreational fishing. The

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recreational fishing industry, especially marine recreational fishing, booms these years. Marine

recreational fishing creates many new jobs opportunities for Chinese fishermen.

Promoting Mutual Understanding between Urban Dwellers and Fishermen

There is a huge income gap within China. The city dwellers enjoy a much higher income than

the rural counterparts. The easterners have a higher income than the westerners. It is called

“urban-rural dual structure” in academic community. Even in Shanghai, the most modern city in

China, there still exits a big unbalance of wealth. The incomes of the people living in suburbs and

getting income from agriculture sector industry are much less than the incomes of the people living

in the downtown areas and working in the second or third industry.

TableⅠ: The Annual Per Capita Disposable Income Difference between urban and rural households

(RMB )

Year Urban Households Rural Households Year Urban Households Rural Households

2012 26959 7916.6 1996 4844.8 1926.1

2011 23979.2 6977.3 1995 4288.1 1577.7

2010 21033.4 5919 1994 3502.3 1221

2009 18858.1 5153.2 1993 2583.2 921.6

2008 17067.8 4760.6 1992 2031.5 784

2007 14908.6 4140.4 1991 1713.1 708.6

2006 12719.2 3587 1989 1387.8 601.5

2005 11320.8 3254.9 1988 1192.1 544.9

2004 10128.5 2936.4 1987 1012.2 462.6

2003 9061.2 2622.2 1986 910 423.8

2002 8177.4 2475.6 1985 748.9 397.6

2001 6907.1 2366.4 1984 660.1 355.3

2000 6295.9 2253.4 1983 572.9 309.8

1999 5888.8 2210.3 1982 535.3 270.1

1998 5458.3 2162 1981 500.4 223.4

1997 5188.5 2090.1

Source：National Bureau of Statistics Website：http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/

Besides economic gap between urban and rural, there is misunderstanding between these two

groups, which has more bad effects. For example, the urban believe that the rural are dirty and rude

and the rural believe that the urban are cunning and arrogant, which may become the obstacle for

developing “Harmonious Society”. The government determines to set up a new type of

industry-agriculture and urban-rural relations in which the industrial sector promotes agriculture,

urban areas support rural development, agriculture and industry benefit each other, and urban and

rural development is integrated4.

Major of participants of the creational fishing are come from cities. Marine creational fishing

can works as bridge between the urban and the rural. In 1954 social scientist, Gordon W. Allport

developed the contact hypothesis, also known as intergroup contact theory. According to the theory,

under appropriate conditions interpersonal contact is one of the most effective ways to reduce

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prejudice between two group members. If one has the opportunity to communicate with others, they

are able to understand and appreciate different points of views involving their way of life. As a result

of new appreciation and understanding, prejudice should diminish5.Through marine creational

fishing, the misunderstanding between the urban and the rural may be reduced.

Increasing People’s Awareness of the Marine Environment and Ocean Mentality

The marine recreational fishing has a high demand for the quantity of the waters. Even the

waters is just a little polluted, no one will fishing in that waters for entertainment. In order to develop

marine recreational fishing, the stakeholders must give priority to the environmental quantities of the

waters, which benefits marine environment and increase ordinary people’s awareness of the marine

environment6.

Last but not least, recreational fishing can raise the ordinary people’s awareness of the

importance of ocean, which is especially important after China outlined her “Maritime Power

Strategy” in 2012.

Marine Recreational Fishing in Shanghai

Shanghai’s Close Tie with Ocean and Fishing

Shanghai, the most modern city in China, is just beside East China Sea. The two Chinese

characters in the city's name are '上' (Shang ="above") and '海' (Hai ="sea"), together meaning

"Upon-the-Sea". The earliest occurrence of this name dates from the 11th century Song Dynasty, at

which time there was already a river confluence and a town with this name in the area. According to

Shanghai Local Historyduring the Hongzhi Period of Ming Dynasty (1488-1505) (明代弘治《上海

志》), the oldest local historical literature of Shanghai,

“Shanghai County also called “Up Ocean” or “Above Sea” because it is located above the

sea”.

Matteo Ricci recoded that Shanghai got its name because it is beside the sea7. So Shanghainese

have a special feeling towards ocean since they are born.

Fig.2: The Map of Shanghai

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Shanghai is officially abbreviated Hu (沪) in Chinese. Hu is fence-like tools for fishing. They

are erected on the coastal beach. When the water level is high, fish swim across the Hu. When the

tide falls, the water flows away through the holes of the Hu. But fish leaves and became the prey of

fishermen.

Fig.3: Hu

So from the historical point of views, marine fishing is an important part of the Shanghai

culture heritage. Just as Americans value recreational fishing as a fundamental part of their nation’s

outdoor heritage. Dr. Jane Lubchenco said in September 2009:

As Americans, we value recreational fishing as a fundamental part of our nation’s outdoor

heritage. For millions of people, fishing is about spending quality time with friends and family.

Fishing helps people connect not only with each other, but also with our natural world. Through

these connections, anglers have become active leaders in conservation. Not only are anglers

stewards of our oceans, they contribute greatly to the economic and cultural vitality of our

coastal communities.”8

Promoting Transformation of Marine Commercial Fishing Industry in Shanghai

Although the city of Shanghai started as inconspicuous fishing village9, the commercial fishing,

no longer an important industry in Shanghai now. Due to the limits of waters territory, environmental

deterioration and so on, lots of fishermen moved into other industries. Transformation from marine

commercial fishing to marine recreational fishing is a good option.

Jinshanzui Fishing Village, the oldest and the only existing fishing village in Shanghai10

, is

located in the southwest of Shanghai and on the northern coast of Hangzhou Bay.

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Fig.4: Location of Jinshanzui Fishing Village

Instead of living on commercial fishing, the majority villagers engage in recreational fishing or

related business.

Fig.5: The Entrance to the Jinshanzui Fishing Village Resorts

Shanghainese’s Fancy for Marine Creational Fishing

Shanghai is the birthplace of Chinese tourism industry. Even during the Republic Period, the

ocean-loving Shanghainese started their fancy for marine tourism. Shanghai sits on the Yangtze

River Delta on Chinese eastern coast. The sediments in the Yangtze River created Shanghai. Unlike

other coastal cities, the beach of Shanghai is not coved by mud instead of sands, which reduce the

joy of marine swimming. In order to conquer the obstacles, Shanghainese built the first man-made

sands beach during 20 Century Republic Period. There are two man-made sands beaches in

Shanghai now; One in Fengxian District and one in Jinshan District near Jinshanzui Fishing Village

Resorts. Shanghainese spend a lot of money on tourism annually. Shanghainese’s fancy for ocean,

their tradition and prosperity make marine recreational fishing a promising industry in Shanghai.

Jinshanzui Fishing Village

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Advanced Marine Technology in Shanghai

Just as mentioned at the beginning of the paper, marine creational fishing requires strong

marine technology. There are many marine research and educational institutes in Shanghai.

TableⅡ: Research and Educational Institutes in Shanghai

Category Name

Special University Shanghai Ocean University

Shanghai Maritime University

Research Institutes

Marine Design & Research Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University

School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University

Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University

Polar Research Institute of China

Business

Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard Group

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co.LTD

Shanghai Fisheries General Corp. (Group)

The technologies invented by these research and educational institutes become the base for the

development of marine recreational fishing in Shanghai.

Marine recreational fishing has the potential to be a big and profitable industry in Shanghai. As

people’s income increases, the value of marine recreational fishing in Shanghai became more

obvious.

What the Shanghai Municipal Government Can Do?

Cooperate with Neighboring Provinces

Waters in Shanghai is only 697 km (269 sq mi), which is far from enough for marine

recreational fishing. Shanghai must cooperate with neighboring provinces (especially Zhejiang and

Jiangsu), to develop its marine creational fishing industry. Shanghai take the role of sources of

tourism, and neighboring provinces become the destination of tourism.

Set Up Laws and Regulation

The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in its 1987

report “Our Common Future” defines sustainable development: "Development that meets the needs

of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Compared with marine commercial fishing, the impact of marine recreational fishing on the

environment is small. But without laws and regulation, marine recreational fishing can still have a

bad effect on the environment. In October 2010, America issued the “Recreational Saltwater

Fisheries Action Agenda”, and in November 2011, the Southeast Region developed its local

“Saltwater Recreational Fishing Action Agenda”11

.

Similarly, related laws and regulation must be set up by the municipal governor to prevent

possible environment damage from marine recreational fishing.

Promoting the Development of Related Industries

Developing marine recreational fishing not only set high requirement for marine technology,

but also set high requirement for related industries, such as financial and medical industries. Special

insurance policies must be invented. Those who want to take part in marine recreational fishing may

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need physical exam. So the medical industry must follow.

Endnotes

1. Supported by Shanghai Ocean University PhD Research Startup Project “Ocean and Evolution

of Modern Shanghai Industries” (A-0209-13-0105398)(上海海洋大学校博士科研启动基金项

目“海洋与近代上海产业演进研究”（编号：A-0209-13-0105398）规划项目成果)

2. Email address：francischen0702@126.com

3. NOAA: Recreational Fisheries Year in Review 2012.

4. China to balance urban, rural development,

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-11/15/c_132892185.htm

5. Shelley E. Taylor, Letitia Anne Peplau, David O. Sears: Social Psychology (11th ed), Upper Saddle

River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c2003,p198-199.

6. D. Matthew Masseya, Stephen C. Newbolda,Brad Gentner:Valuing water quality changes using

a bioeconomic model of a coastal recreational fishery,Journal of Environmental Economics and

Management 52 (2006) 482–500

7. Matteo Ricci, S.J. was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit

China Mission, as it existed in the 17th–18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God.

8. NOAA: Recreational Fisheries Year in Review 2012.

9. Li Gonghao, The Rise of Shanghai: from a fishing village to an international metropolis,

Shanghai University Press, 2010, P4.

10. Jinshanzui Fishing Village Website: http://www.jszyucun.com/html/

11. NOAA Fisheries Website：http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/recreational_fishing/index.html

1 Supported by Shanghai Ocean University PhD Research Startup Project “Ocean and Evolution of

Modern Shanghai Industries” (A-0209-13-0105398)(上海海洋大学校博士科研启动基金项目“海

洋与近代上海产业演进研究”（编号：A-0209-13-0105398）规划项目成果) 2 Email address：francischen0702@126.com 3 NOAA: Recreational Fisheries Year in Review 2012. 4 China to balance urban, rural development, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-11/15/c_132892185.htm 5 Shelley E. Taylor, Letitia Anne Peplau, David O. Sears: Social Psychology (11th ed), Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c2003,p198-199. 6 D. Matthew Masseya, Stephen C. Newbolda,Brad Gentner:Valuing water quality changes using a bioeconomic model of a coastal recreational fishery,Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 52 (2006) 482–500 7 Matteo Ricci, S.J. was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th–18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God. 8 NOAA: Recreational Fisheries Year in Review 2012. 9 Li Gonghao, The Rise of Shanghai: from a fishing village to an international metropolis, Shanghai University Press, 2010, P4. 10 Jinshanzui Fishing Village Website: http://www.jszyucun.com/html/ 11 NOAA Fisheries Website：http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/recreational_fishing/index.html