China-ROK cooperation bolsters fishery resources

China and the Republic of Korea carried out their seventh annual joint fish stock enhancement and release campaign in the Yellow Sea on Tuesday, releasing a total of 7.29 million juveniles of important commercial species into waters that have long sustained fishing communities in both countries.

The ROK released 4.29 million fry and juveniles of small yellow croaker, red seabream and swimming crab off Incheon, while China simultaneously released 3 million juveniles of greenfin horse-faced filefish, swimming crab and blackhead seabream off Yantai, Shandong province.

The campaign is based on a consensus reached at the 16th session of the bilateral fisheries joint committee in 2016. The event, which began in 2018, has released more than 18.75 million fry and juveniles into the Yellow Sea, contributing to the recovery of commercially valuable fish stocks, improvement of the marine ecosystem and higher incomes for fishermen from both countries, official data showed.

The cooperation is grounded in the China-ROK Fisheries Agreement signed in 2000. Over the years, the two sides have expanded collaboration in catch management, resource conservation, scientific research and joint law enforcement.

China has released more than 67.7 billion fry and juveniles of various aquatic species into the Bohai and Yellow seas.

The Yellow Sea serves as a vital fishing ground for both countries, with many commercially important species showing distinct seasonal migration patterns, according to the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences' Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute.

Since 2010, China and the ROK have conducted joint fisheries resource surveys, typically four times a year on a quarterly basis, with each side carrying out two cruises. The surveys involve mutual vessel boardings and data sharing to monitor stock fluctuations and inform conservation decisions, the institute said.

These fish spawn, nurse and feed in the inshore waters of China's Bohai and Yellow seas during warmer months, then migrate toward the central and southern Yellow Sea for wintering as water temperatures drop, the institute said.

This migratory pattern, together with the long-established fishing practices of both countries, means that the sustainable management of Yellow Sea fisheries requires joint efforts, the institute added.

Qu Jiangbo, general manager of the Tianyuan Aquatic Products Co, said the company supplied greenfin horse-faced filefish for this year's release campaign. The fry and juveniles were produced using controlled temperature and water quality breeding techniques, using wild-caught, disease-free brood-stock with high genetic diversity.

Before release, the juveniles undergo strict quarantine and drug residue testing. Only those passing tests for 11 prohibited substances receive official certification for release, Qu said.

The company has invested 130 million yuan ($19 million) in a live germplasm bank for marine fish in northern China, which is expected to be fully operational before this year-end to preserve and utilize fishery genetic resources, he said.

Fishermen have also witnessed tangible benefits. Cui Gang, a local fisherman for almost 20 years, said that over the past five to six years, he has seen larger catches of greenfin horse-faced filefish, with rare red seabream occasionally appearing.

"The proportion of small mixed fish has declined, while commercially valuable species are larger and yields have stabilized," Cui said.

On the joint China-ROK fish stock enhancement and release effort, Cui said, "The sea has no borders, and neither do fish. If both sides take good care of these waters, we fishermen will have a future."

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn