Intrusive offshore fish farms face cull

China is racing to phase out offshore aquatic farms that clog up shipping lanes and damage the eco-health of mangroves, while building more deep-sea alternatives as the country looks to its expansive territorial waters for food supplies, a circular said.

Local governments must limit the scale of new sea farms in the neighborhood of important gulfs, estuaries and coastal cities, and avoid planning such facilities close to military zones, ports, shipping lanes, anchorage grounds and areas with submarine cables, said the circular by the ministries of natural resources and agriculture and rural affairs.

Dated Dec 13 but released to the public only this month, the circular said the scale and layout of sea farms must be "scientifically planned" so that farming areas remain stable and ocean ecosystems are preserved.

The mainland has about 18,000 kilometers of coastline and 4.73 million square kilometers of maritime area, offering large swaths that can be tapped to create such farms.

However, inadequate planning plus the country's surging demand for seafood have led to the explosive growth of sea farms in recent years, the circular said. Some have threatened to disrupt shipping lanes and led to the degeneration of some marine animals and plants.

To address the woes, the circular vowed to restrict new areas earmarked for enclosed farms dotting the coastline — where the use of fish feed and antibiotics have long been blamed for pollution — and highlighted the conservation of mangroves and other ecosystems in coastal areas.

The document also called for the fast expansion of cage farming farther from the shoreline, with the help of box-shaped facilities that can feed and monitor fish populations remotely. It encouraged the manufacture and use of cages and fishing vessels that shuttle around to keep fish farms running. Environmentally friendly materials and methods are incentivized in equipment making.

The ministries signaled easy access to deep-sea areas for farms, though stressing such projects must be vetted for their impacts on ocean flows and maritime activities, such as maritime military training.

The push to expand farming areas deep in the ocean is part of a national drive to build a "blue grain barn "and bolster domestic food supply amid rising external uncertainties.

China laid out its ambition to build "modern sea farms" in the No 1 Central Document last year. The document is the first policy statement released annually by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, and has long served as an indicator of government priorities.

In June, six departments led by the agriculture ministry issued a guideline to speed up the construction of deep sea farms and step up the making of cages and other smart equipment needed to run such farms.