Objective: Impetus for establishing a framework for the sustainable development for marine ecosystems in the East China Sea, is more significant in from social perspective than the economics of such an endeavour.

1. The East China Sea: GIWA
Application for Sub-region No. 36
J.G. Qu1, Z.L. Xu2, Q. Long1, L. Wang1, X.M. Shen2,
J. Zhang1 and Y.L. Cai1
1. East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
2. East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai, China

2. Regional Definition
• Geographical Setting
- Surface area: 770×103 km2
- Average water depth: 370 m

3. Regional Definition
• Population growth rate
- China 6.45 ‰
- Japan 2.0‰
- South Korea 8.0 ‰
• GDP
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
GDP (×81 0dollars)
1990
1998
1999
2000
2001
China Japan South Korea
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
GDP (%)
Primary industry
Secondary indust ry
Tert iary indust ry
China Japan Korea

4. Scoring table for the East China Sea
East China Sea Environmental
impacts
Economic
impacts
Health
impacts
Other
community
impacts
Overall
Score Priority
Freshwater
shortage 1.7 1 0 0 0.84 4
Pollution 1.7 1 1 2 1.34 2
Habitat and
community
2 1 0 2 1.12 3
modification
Unsustainable
exploitation of fish 2.4 2 1 0 1.18 1
Global change 0.5 0 0 1 0.44 5

5. 160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Year
DI N (μM)

6. 100
80
60
40
20
A C
D
Assessment: Water Quality
and HABs
• A. Skeletonema costatum
• B. Noctiluca scintillans
• C. Prorocentrum donghaiense Lu
• D. Alexandrium tamarense
0
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
Year
Frequency
0
Area covered
(thousand km 2 )
Frequency
Area covered

7. Assessment: Overexploitation on Fishery
• Trichiutus lepturus Linnaeus (left)
• Larimichthys Polyactis (Bleeker) (right)
year
1600000
1400000
1200000
1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Trichiurus lepturus (tons)
Korea, Republic of
Japan
China
450000
400000
350000
300000
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
year
Larimichthys polyactis (tons)
Korea, Republic of
Japan
China

8. Causal Chain Analysis
• Overexploitation of fish
Issues Immediate causes Sectors/Activities Root causes
Overexploitation
Demography
Governance
Knowledge
Institution and job
Fishery
Economic
Increased fishing
effort
Decreased level of
recruitment
Destructive fishing
practices
Species retrogression
and genetic problem

9. Causal Chain Analysis
• Coastal Eutrophication and HABs
Issues Immediate causes Sectors/Activities Root causes
Eutrophication
Demography
Governance
Knowledge
Socio-culture
Agriculture
Fishery
Aquaculture
Industry
Urbanization
Riverine input
Marine culture
Sewage drainage
Others

10. Conclusion and recommendations
• Failures in governance to provide for a sustainable fishery and
protection of environment in the East China Sea has been due
to the misconception that natural resources both on land and in
the ocean are inexhaustible.
• Information is needed to implement actions to ensure the
sustainable use of water resources via:
- research to obtain new information
- dissemination of existing knowledge
- conversations within and/or between governments to
coordinate implementation of various conservation
programmes
- training and education to improve public understanding
- legislation and international agreements
• Impetus for establishing a framework for the sustainable
development for marine ecosystems in the East China Sea, is
more significant in from social perspective than the economics
of such an endeavour.

11. Thank you!