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Safeguarding Southeast Asia’s Fishing Industry

Southeast Asia's Fishing Industry
A 2018 article by The Asia Foundation stated that roughly 12% of the global population depends on fisheries and the aquaculture industry for their livelihoods and more than 50% of the global population relies on fish and seafood as a major source of protein. Over the past few decades, Southeast Asia has established a fishing metropolis but the region has struggled with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. However, in the last five to 10 years, the region has begun to regulate Southeast Asia’s fishing industry and watch for illegal fishing. There are many important reasons to regulate the fishing industry, including keeping the ecosystem healthy and populated.

The Fishing Industry

Southeast Asia, consisting of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and Timor-Leste, has some of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) estimates that Southeast Asia contributed approximately 52% of total fishery production globally in 2018, reaching 46.5 million MT of fish at a value of more than $51 billion.

Identifying the Problem

The Asia Foundation said that about “64[%]of the fisheries’ resource base is at a medium to high risk from overfishing.” Cambodia and the Philippines hold the highest risks. Some common methods of destructive fishing are:

  • Poison fishing – “using sodium cyanide to stun the fish and make them easier to capture.”
  • Blast fishing – uses “dynamite or grenades to indiscriminately kill fish in the immediate vicinity.”
  • Ghost fishing – leaving fishing gear in the sea, which will float in the sea and trap and kill marine life.

Most of the overfishing destruction seen in Southeast Asia is due to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). In 2018, The Asia Foundation said that to keep the fishing industry of Southeast Asia alive, the region would “need to decrease all destructive fishing practices and reduce harvest by nearly 50%.”

Health Concerns

The world widely recognizes that fish is a vital source of food. Low in saturated fatty acids, a source of protein and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, fish is consumed across the world. There are several concerns when it comes to the relationship between overfishing and human health.

To begin with, overfishing harms the marine ecosystem. From pollution of oils and gas via fishing boats to removing an unnaturally large fish population from the seas, there is a clear trend of regression of reefs and shifts in the marine ecosystem food chain.

At the top of the food chain, humans feel the ripple effect below them. If the location of fisheries experiences pollution due to fishing techniques such as poison or blast fishing, then humans eat the polluted fish.

Although these factors may impact the health of humans, just as significant is the concern of food security. According to Reuters, “In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and some small island developing states, fish contributed 50% or more of total animal protein intake.”

Visible Progress

In March 2018, The Asia Foundation met with the U.S. Department of State, the Royal Thai Government and the People’s Republic of China to create a regional assessment of fisheries to safeguard food security in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asia’s fishing industry. Specifically, experts from these groups looked into developing a legal framework to improve fishery management and combat IUU fishing. In addition, the groups looked at “emerging new technologies to support sustainable fisheries management.”

Most of Southeast Asia consists of developing countries that do not have the accessibility and financial support to outsource fish and protein in the event of the fishing industry collapsing, not to mention the millions of job losses that would ensue. Policy and regulations to better control Southeast Asia’s fishing industry will not only allow for a sustainable fishing environment but will also increase food security and ensure better health for Southeast Asia.

– Sierra Winch
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About Solar Energy in China

solar energy in chinaThe People’s Republic of China is one of the largest global economies today. Since it was reformed in 1978 to open itself up to the world, more than 850 million citizens were lifted above the poverty line and GDP growth has been on average 10% a year. However, poverty is still a large problem in the country, as 373 million Chinese citizens live in poverty today. The Chinese government implemented the Solar Energy for Poverty Alleviation Program (SEPAP) in 2013 as a means of helping its most poor citizens.

5 Facts About Solar Energy in China

  1. Progress so far: Solar energy in China has already helped many provinces. Between 2013 and 2016, 211 pilot counties reported an average per capita disposable income increase of 7-8%. Counties were chosen for the initial phase of the program primarily for their solar radiation levels and secondarily for their local economic conditions. SEPAP had the greatest impact in the eastern part of the country and the poorest counties saw the greatest increase.
  2. Government plans: The government is planning to install more solar energy to alleviate poverty. After its initial success, SEPAP aims to install more than 10 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity across the country. The government plans to target the poorest parts of eastern China, where solar energy had the greatest impact in the pilot counties, and it estimates that the new solar energy will benefit more than 2 million people across 35,000 villages by the end of the year.
  3. Goals: The goals of SEPAP’s five year plan are ambitious. Officials intend to create a “new normal,” switching economic growth and services from an investment-led approach to a consumer-led approach. From 2015 to 2020, they plan to achieve an 18% reduction in carbon intensity, 15% reduction in energy intensity and have 15% of primary energy come from renewable sources. This is all part of promoting an “ecological civilization” that focuses on green policies and technologies.
  4. Finances: The financial side of the program has a lot to consider. SEPAP researchers believe that quality access to electricity and employment opportunities in solar energy should be considered as future policy as well. This is because the program may cost $4.2 billion throughout its five year implementation period, and research into the proper allocation of funds for solar energy in China must be conducted in order to preserve the economic effects.
  5. Poverty reduction: The community solar programs and similar renewable energy generation projects across the world all seek financial benefit from energy generation in order to alleviate poverty at the county or village level. Some of the revenue from these projects also go towards public welfare projects that reduce poverty as well.

Overall, solar energy programs are not an end all be all solution to China’s poverty problem. However, the communities they are able to provide with relief show significant improvement in income. Solar energy might not fix everything, but it does open up many possibilities in China’s future.

– Kathy Wei
Photo: Flickr

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Living Conditions in the Paracel Islands

Living Conditions in the Paracel Islands
The Paracel Islands is a group of more than 30 islands between the coastlines of Vietnam and China, also called Xisha Islands, the Hoang Sa Archipelago and West Sand Islands. The country is in the South China Sea and some have considered it a flashpoint for regional tensions in East and Southeast Asia. Along with the Spratly and Patras Islands, the maritime territory is “…at risk of becoming Asia’s Palestine…” said the outgoing Secretary-General of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. With this in mind, here are 10 facts about the living conditions in the Paracel Islands.

10 Facts About Living Conditions in the Paracel Islands

  1. Fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves surround the Paracel Islands. Although no one has done a reliable estimate on the area, many believe there is a significant hydrocarbon (the chief component in petroleum and natural gas) prize in the region. The mere suspicion of the potential value the islands may have had made China anxious about its occupation.
  2. According to international law, China has sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands by discovery and occupation of said islands. While China faced Japanese aggression in 1930, however, France, as the colonial power in Vietnam, occupied some of the islands upon the argument that those islands were Vietnamese historical territories.
  3. The Japanese invaded the Vietnamese islands as an act of aggression towards China. It was not until the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty and the 1952 Sino-Japanese Treaty when Japan renounced all rights to the Paracel Islands, as well as the Spratly Islands, Penghu and Taiwan to China. Because of this, the Paracel Islands are a huge source of international conflict. The People’s Republic of China has tried to keep the occupation of the islands, despite protests from the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam. In 2012, the People’s Republic of China declared a city named Sansha, located on Woody Island, one of the Paracel Islands, that administers several island groups. The People’s Republic of China is doing everything in its power to support its territorial claims.
  4. Although no one has calculated an exact number, the People’s Republic of China invests millions in the development of the Paracel Islands. More recently, Beijing revealed a $23.5 million contract for a coastguard ship to patrol the Paracel Islands. It has also made advancements in the living conditions on Woody Island.
  5. Woody Island is the most populated of the Paracel Islands with over 1,000 habitats and scattered Chinese garrisons on the surrounding islands. Most people living on the islands are soldiers, construction workers and fishermen. With the recent construction, China has built a school for the 40 children living on the island. It also has a hospital, a postal office, a supermarket and more.
  6. There are many concerns about the militarization of the South China Sea as reports of the presence of missiles on the islands, especially Woody Island, surge. China built a military installation on Woody Island with an airfield and artificial harbor. President Xi Jinping held a private two-day drill in the Paracel Islands as a show of strength in the South China Sea.
  7. There is a limited supply of fresh water on the islands. On most of the islands that China occupies, drinking water comes in barrels with other supplies from small boats, making it as scarce as fuel. Desalination plants have activated in the South China Sea but are not available to all. Many have had to improve their ability to sustain long periods of time without supplies, including drinking water.
  8. There are plans underway to open the Paracel Islands to tourism by granting visa-free travel. The travelers will be able to stay up to 30 days on the islands. For years, tourism was scarce in the islands due to international conflicts but construction has already begun for a tourist area. There is, however, a threat for allowing tourists onto the islands.
  9. One of the biggest sources of income for the habitats in the Paracel Islands are the surrounding fishing grounds. It represents a key part of the living conditions in the Paracel Islands. If tourism opens up in the area, fishing activities will be greatly reduced. Another problem has risen against the fishing grounds: the degradation of coastal habitats. The degradation of coastal habitats has been mostly due to the military bases in construction. Luckily, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme have partnered for the Implementation of the Regional Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea. Along with rehabilitating the coastal habitats, one of its priority issues is the management failures with respect to the linkage between fish stock and critical habitats. The coastal reefs are a considerable part of the Paracel Islands because they also act as a defense.
  10. A major concern of the Paracel Islands is typhoon season. The islands experience a series of typhoons during the summer months. This natural disaster leads to instability in the islands and the reefs are a critical part in protecting the islands from major harm.

People have given little attention to the poverty the habitants of the Paracel Islands have been facing these past years. These 10 facts about the living conditions in the Paracel Islands should illuminate the subject so the archipelago can improve over time.

– Andrea Viera
Photo: Wikipedia Commons