Food security of mariculture in China: Evolution, future potential and policy

Abstract China's developing mariculture has made significant contributions to ensuring food security since 1949. This paper outlines the development of mariculture in China in three stages: the start-up period (1949–1977), the rapid development period (1978–2000), and the sustainable development period (2001-present). The analysis of China's mariculture and food security policies in three stages summarizes the evolutionary characteristics of policy synchronization. However, China's food security faces severe challenges in the context of reduced cultivated land resources, insufficient water resources and serious environmental pollution. This paper analyzes the great potential of China's mariculture in rationally utilizing fishery resources, increasing deep-sea development and exploration, and optimizing mariculture structures. Finally, this paper highlights the importance of optimizing China's mariculture subsidy policy, increasing policy support for key technological breakthroughs, and establishing a diversified mariculture organization model. Recommendations were made to ensure food security by developing a reasonable mariculture policy in China.