China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production.FAO Fact sheet: Aquaculture in China and Asia FAO report: China responsible for two-thirds of world aquaculture production – FishUpdate.com It is a major importer of seafood; the country's seafood market is estimated to reach US$53.5 billion by 2027.
China's 2005 reported catch of wild fish, caught in rivers, lakes, and the sea, was 17.1 million tonnes, far ahead of the second-ranked nation, the United States, which reported 4.9 million tonnes. The Chinese commercial fishing fleet is responsible for more illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing than that of any other nation.
Aquaculture, the farming of fish in ponds, lakes and tanks, accounts for two-thirds of China's reported output. China's 2005 reported harvest was 32.4 million tonnes, more than 10 times that of the second-ranked nation, India, which reported 2.8 million tonnes. The country's aquaculture market is forecast to reach US$177.3 Billion by 2027.
The major aquaculture-producers are concentrated in coastal regions. China is increasingly developing offshore fish farms and has large scale salmon farms in the Yellow Sea.
About 80 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. is caught or processed abroad, with China as its biggest supplier.
Statistics Since 2002, China has been the world largest exporter of fish and fish products. In 2005, exports, including aquatic plants, were valued at US$7.7 billion, with Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea as the main markets. In 2005, China was the sixth largest importer of fish and fish products in the world, with imports totaling US$4.0 billion.
In 2003, the global per capita consumption of fish was estimated at 16.5 kg, with Chinese consumption, based on her reported returns, at 25.8 kg.
In 2010, China accounted for 60% of global aquaculture production (by volume) and had ~14 million people (26% of the world total) engaged as fishers and fish farmers (FAO). In 2009, China produced approximately 21 million metric tons (MTs) of freshwater fish or 48% of global output, and 5.3 million MTs of crustaceans or 49% of global output.
The Chinese fishing industry is the most heavily subsidized on earth. It also has the highest share of harmful subsidies, subsidies which make it profitable to overfish depleted stocks, with $5.9 billion of such subsidies paid in 2018. This compares to harmful subsidies from Japan at $2.1 billion, the European Union at $2 billion, and the United States at $1.1 billion. Most of these subsidies are fuel subsidies, which contribute to carbon emissions. In 2013 94% of Chinese fisheries subsidies were for fuel.
As of 2020 China had the world's largest distant waters fishing fleet with nearly 17,000 vessels, mostly registered in China but with approximately 1,000 registered under flags of convenience. In 2025 China’s global fishing fleet was estimated to include 57,000 industrial vessels. It represented 44% of the world’s visible fishing activity. Chinese vessels accounted for 30% of all fishing activity on the high seas, appearing to fish for more than 8.3 million hours.
History China inland fish production before 1963 came mainly from wild inland fisheries. Since then, wild inland fishery resources have decreased because of overfishing, dam building, land reclamation for agriculture, and industrial pollution. During the 1970s, the annual output of wild inland fisheries dropped to 300,000 tonnes per year. In 1978, the government set up organizational structures to deal with these issues, and to stock fish fingerlings in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. This reversed many of the problems, and by 1996 production reached 1.76 million tonnes. However, inland aquaculture has made even bigger gains, and now outstrips production from the wild inland fisheries.
In 1999, China set an objective of "zero growth" in coastal marine capture catch, and in 2001 changed the objective to "minus growth". To achieve this, China has been reducing vessel numbers and relocating fishermen away from marine capture fisheries. By the end of 2004, 8,000 vessels were scrapped and 40,000 fishermen were relocated. In 2006, China issued the Programme of Action on Conservation of Living Aquatic Resources of China. This provides that, by 2010, deterioration of the aquatic environment, declines in fisheries resources and increases in endangered species will be arrested, over-capacity will be reduced, and efficiencies will be increased.
In 2017 the Ecuadorian Navy seized the reefer vessel Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 inside the Galapagos Marine Reserve with over 6,000 frozen sharks including whale sharks. The Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 vessel was responsible for harbouring nearly 572 tonnes of fish; 12 different species identified, 11 of those being prominent in the Galapagos Marine Reserve and 9 of the species being on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List (ICUN list). The crew were tried and convicted of illegal fishing with each sentenced to four years in prison and the vessel's owner was fined six million dollars.
Chinese distant water fishing activities started in 1985 when China gained access to new fishing grounds through agreements with foreign countries. By 1996, these fisheries had extended to 60 regions around the world, employing 21,200 fishermen, 1381 fishing vessels, and caught 926,500 tonnes.
Construction of the world's first 100,000-ton large-scale fish farming vessel, the Guoxin-1, was completed in 2022. In 2025, Guoxin Development Group unveiled a 150,000 ton version, with greater automation.
China sent the first Chinese fishing fleet to West African waters in 1985. The following year, with other Chinese partners, CNFC started trawling operations in the North Pacific. Tuna longlining followed in the South Pacific, and in 1989, squid longlining in the Japan Sea and the North Pacific. According to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization Chinese participation in South Pacific fisheries increased from 54 vessels catching 70,000 tons in 2009 to 557 vessels and 358,000 tons of catch in 2020.
Oceana's analysis in partnership with Global Fishing Watch noted that in September 2020, 300 Chinese merchant vessels were spotted off the coast of the Galapagos fishing squid, tuna, sharks, and other marine life. Satellite data analysis found that various fishing vessels spent a cumulative 73,000 hours fishing near the Galapagos Islands between August and September 2020. Oceana concluded that this fishing negatively affected sensitive marine life in the region and that Chinese vessels actively sought to evade detection by local authorities, either by practicing illegal transshipment strategies or by disabling onboard public tracking devices.
In 2020 a fleet of Chinese fishing boats attacked Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration and local environmental protection vessels which had been clearing illegal nets in Taiwanese waters.
On December 15, 2020, the Palaun patrol vessel PSS Remeliik II detained a Chinese fishing vessel which had on board an unlicensed catch of of sea cucumbers, worth $800 per kilogram, in Asian markets. Earlier that fall, the Remeliik detained six smaller Chinese vessels.
In December 2022, the United States Secretary of the Treasury issued sanctions on Pingtan Marine Enterprise and related individuals over human rights abuses tied to China-based illegal fishing.
Wild fisheries
Coastal fisheries
China's coastline runs 14,500 kilometers,CIA factbook: China and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 877,019 square kilometers.Sea Around Us Project: China's EEZ The fishing grounds range from sub-tropical to temperate zones and include 431,000 square kilometers of continental shelves (200 meters or less deep).NOAA Central Library (2000) Fishing Industry in China Marine fishing grounds in km² Region Area Continental shelf EEZ Bohai Sea 24,000 24,000 24,000 Yellow Sea 127,000 127,000 103,000 East China Sea 252,000 151,000 160,000 South China Sea 630,000 129,000 531,000 Total 1,033,000 431,000 818,000 Disputes continue with several neighboring nations over the exact extent of China's EEZ in the South China Sea.
The seas around China host about 3,000 marine species, of which more than 150 are fished commercially. Major marine fish species include chub mackerel, black scraper, anchovy and shrimps, crabs and smaller fishes.
Distant fisheries
The China National Fishery Corporation (CNFC) is the major operator in distant fisheries. According to a 2018 report, Chinese long-distance fishing was economically viable only with state subsidies.
China is ranked poorly in compliance with international distant waters fishing regulations both as a flag state and a port state. Vessels may remain at sea for years at a time with the help of fuel tankers and supply vessels. The crews on these vessels often suffer human rights violations.
Inland fisheries
Inland China has 176,000 square km of inland waters (1.8 percent of the inland area). Eighty thousand reservoirs contribute another 20,000 km2.
China has 709 freshwater fish species and 58 subspecies, with another 64 species migrating between sea and inland waters.
Carp are a commercially important species, particularly silver carp, bighead carp, black carp, grass carp, common carp and crucian carp. Other commercially important species are bream, reeves shad, eel, cat fish, rainbow trout, salmon, whitebait, mullet, Siniperca chuatsi, perch, sturgeon, and murrel. Commercial shellfish include freshwater shrimp and river crabs, molluscs include freshwater mussels, clams and freshwater snails. Aquatic plants are also harvested: lotus, water chestnut and the gorgon nut Euryale ferox. Other commercial species include the soft-shell turtle and the frog. Major lakes and rivers in China Lake Location Area (km2) Fisheries Qinghaihu Lake Qinghai 4,583 Qinghaihu Lake Qinghai 4,583 Poyang Lake Jiangxi 3,583 Luobubo Lake Xinjiang 3,006 Dongtinghu Lake Hunan 2,820 Lake Tai Jiangsu 2,420 Hulunhu Lake Neimenggu 2,315 Hongzehu Lake Jiangsu 1,586 River Length (km) Area (km2) FisheriesYangtze River5,80018,085Yellow River5,4647,524Heilongjiang River2,9658,900Talimu River2,1791,980Zhujiang River2,1294,257Songhuajiang River1,8405,456Yaluzangbujiang River1,7872,416Lancangjiang River1,6121,540Nujiang River1,5401,200Hanjiang River1,5321,744Liaohe River1,4301,920Nenjiang River1,3702,439Yalongjiang River1,1871,443Yujiang River1,162Jialinjiang River1,1191,598Haihe River1,0902,650Wujiang River1,018882Huai River1,00018,700
Management
Despite these efforts, overfishing continues to be a major problem in Chinese fisheries, with an estimated maximum sustainable yield of 750 to 1100 million tons in offshore regions far exceeded to the tune of 1200 to 1300 million tons, according to government statistics. In addition to the unsustainable catch, the rapid development of China's coastal cities and industries has created massive pollution - depleting the habitats and overall fishery numbers as well.
2010 marine fishery targets 2002 2010 Motorised fishing vessels 220,000 192,000 Fishing fleet power 12.70 million kW 11.43 million kW Marine catch 13.06 million ton 12 million ton
Fisheries authorities apply the following fishery management methods:
Season moratorium: Since 1994, China has imposed a hot season moratorium in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. This moratorium affects 120,000 fishing vessels and one million fishermen. During this period, trawling and sailing stake net fishing are banned, and set nets are closed for at least two months in all marine areas. From 2004, all fishing operations, except use of gillnets with mesh size over 90 mm, are banned in Bohai Bay between 16 June and 1 September.