China: Fishery Farms Claims
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Club correspondents Huatai have prepared an analysis of recent fishery farm claims in China. Their statistics show where such claims arose in 2017, with over half occurring in Lanshan. Huatai show a map indicating the locations of the incidents in the Lanshan area, noting the uncertainty about the location of some fish farms. Although the local MSA has published warnings on their website, most of the fish farms do not appear on Chinese charts. A further complication is that disputes between some regional MSA bodies means that administration on safe navigation in this area is not well organised.
Whilst the MSA is in charge of the supervision of marine traffic and navigation safety, marine aquaculture and sea area use falls within the jurisdiction of another organisation, the Oceanic and Fishery Bureau, who have approved fish farm locations even though they may be near shipping lanes.
Huatai’s helpful Circular discusses the challenges posed by these apparently competing authorities and sets out recommendations about route planning and what to do with specific reference to both Lanshan and Ningde areas. You can read the Huatai circular here .