Hunt or Breed — Future Fishery for China

As the third biggest country in the world, China enjoys not only vast territory but rich water areas as well. The nature provide great potential to fishery, either wild caught or aquaculture.

Source: Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles: The People’s Republic of China ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/DOCUMENT/fcp/en/FI_CP_CN.pdf

 

Significant production from both capture and aquaculture results in significant figures of fishery trade and commodity, which is not only the pillar of every local fishery village but also an essential component of the economy of the country. Looking for a sustainable strategy of fishery is at great importance.

China Fishery Commodity and Trade Statistics Source: FAO Fisheries statistics http://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/CHN/en

                     China Production
Source: FAO Fisheries statistics http://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/CHN/en

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both wild caught and aquaculture have their own pros and cons. As a country with large marine and fresh water areas, seeking balance is always the way to go. However, it might be better for China to weigh aquaculture more.

 

Aquaculture VS Wild Caught

• Space

         Capture:

         Even we have a vast Exclusive Economic Zone, there is a cap. Meanwhile, we share the ocean with other countries as Korea, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, etc. Reports could be seen frequently that fishermen run into conflict with other countries’ vessels and even warships.

         Aquaculture:

        Still, we could not expand unlimitedly but the cap is not that obvious. In addition, with policy support and technology support, it is possible to utilize the space more efficiently.

• Efficiency

         Capture:

         For the good of ecosystem, every summer for about 3 months there is the fish moratorium.

         Inevitable by-catch is another problem both economically and environmentally.

        There are certain species in the natural waters that are not controllable. Its adaptability to the market is limited. 

        Aquaculture:

         No moratorium and no by-catch. 

         High adaptability to the market.

• Safety

         Though disease and contamination may affect both capture production and aquaculture production. It is much safer for the people who are in aquaculture than those in wild caught. The potential casualty may raise the cost of the products. 

 

Aquaculture is not only embracing a promising future theoretically, the actual statistics also show a steady growth, comparing with the capture production. Its controllability makes it stand out in the market economy. As the biggest aquatic production trading nation in the world, more efficient aquaculture is definitely the path to the sustainable development.   

Source: China Statistical Yearbook 2009 http://www.thefishsite.cn/articles/535/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E6%B0%B4%E4%BA%A7%E4%BA%A7%E5%93%81%E5%B9%B4%E5%BA%A6%E6%8A%A5%E5%91%8A

Rhetoric vs Reality — Should Fracking be allowed in the Delaware River Basin?

What is Fracking?

Fracking is more formally known as hydraulic fracturing, a fancy technology that allows vertical natural gas wells to drill horizontally.

Source: Fracking battle heats up for session’s final weeks By Josh Richman, August 28th,2013 http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2013/08/28/fracking-battle-heats-up-for-sessions-final-weeks/

To frack, or not to frack?

Hot fracking battles have been on going for years. General pros and cons could be seen. Though different people give different opinions, the pros are all from the economic standpoint while the cons are on the environmental and health side.

Pros:

• Create more jobs
• Less greenhouse gas emission
• Energy independence

Cons:

• Water usage and contamination
• Methane leaks from wells will offset the decreasing CO2 emission
• Possible environmental degradation

Those pros come with concrete numbers from industries that are so vivid that you could even see the beautiful future they depict. However, the cons are mostly predictions and effects that will surface decades or centuries later. Who could resist this temptation? Even my own mind is about to say “Go frack”.

Rhetoric vs Reality

One great strength for these economic points is that the outcomes are more immediate. That is what makes their promise sound so touchable. Years have passed since Texas and Ohio had their hydraulic fracturing wells. Are they really presenting the fascinating picture as industries promised?

A presentation, “Shale Promises, or Shale Spin? The Economics Behind Fracking“, given by Deborah Rogers on January 19, 2012 revealed a totally different story. An industry sponsored study claimed that 44,000 jobs and $7.17 billion in economic activities had been created in Pennsylvania. However, in 2011, a new Penn State study showed that the natural gas development had created roughly half the jobs and economic activity reported in an earlier industry funded study. In Ohio, industry projected 200,000 jobs while the study only projected 1/10 of it. These fancy but misleading numbers provided by industries did not take the cost of extraction in to account.

The retrospect not only unveiled those disappointing numbers but also showed terrible negative impact. After already drilling 15,000 wells, Fort Worth City, Texas decided to run a test about the impact to the environment and found out that Benzene was detected at 94% of all sites tested within the city proper and childhood asthma was more than double the national average.

Another thing on the Pro list is energy independence. When the international crude price keeps hitting a record high, this is absolutely a key question to consider. But in a capitalist country, the power of market could not be ignored. In the era of globalization, the international market plays a big role in business activities. When the natural gas price is about $3 in the US while Asian countries would pay $12~$15, it will not take long for energy companies to decide where to sell their natural gas. How could natural gas gain US energy independence when it is exported to other countries?

Delaware River Basin

     As shown in the map from ALL Group, Marcellus Shale is located at the headwaters of the Delaware River which supports 15 million people from 4 states. Not only having those discounted projected numbers, the coming drilling wells may eliminate existing economic activities such as eco-tourism. While the promising immediate positive economic outcomes are not fully realized, long-term environmental degradation will be the major consequence for the river basin. Who would have the feeling of temptation? My mind is yelling “Don’t frack”.

Source:Water Resources and Use for Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale Region By ALL Consulting,LLC http://fracfocus.org/sites/default/files/publications/water_resources_and_use_for_hydraulic_fracturing_in_the_marcellus_shale_region.pdf

     On this important issue in the Delaware River Basin, the Delaware River Basin Commission is gradually moving forward on regulations.

     Will science hold the place when facing economy?