Boom or Bust: The Future of Fish in the South China Sea

By U. Rashid Sumaila and William W. L. Cheung

The South China Sea has historically been a very rich and important resource for seafood in the region, where over 3m people per day rely on fishing for their main income sources. However, years of mismanagement has led to overfishing and large decreases in fish stocks.   Boom or Bust, the Future of Fish in the South China Sea presents a state of the union today, and provides a compeling reason for regional cooperation and fishery management.  The "business as usual scenario" is one which is not sustainable, leading to a collapse in many fisheries, particularly when coupled with climate change and acidification impacts.  Proper management, however, can help to bring fish stocks back, and bring a stable social scenario for the countries in the region which rely so heavily on this seafood resource for their livelihoods.  

This report also supports the rationale for the Kin Hong Seafood Festival in Hong Kong, in all of November, 2015.  With over 45 restaurants proudly serving MSC/ASC and WWF certified seafood and menus, this program helps to educate consumers and restaurantuers about the options and benefits of using and consuming sustainable seafood.  "Kin Hong" means "healthy" in Chinese, representing both the good quality of the seafood, with less pollution and transportation impacts, and also the healthy and sustainable manner in which the seafood is caught or raised.  

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