Status investigation and analysis of oyster aquaculture industry in China: evidence from Zhanjiang

Oyster is an important fishing resource that is produced in coastal areas around the world. Over the past few decades, China’s oyster aquaculture has flourished and is the world’s largest in terms of production. As global problems of environmental pollution and resource depletion increase, the sustainability of industrial development is a growing concern. In recent years, there have been frequent incidents of regulatory sanctions against rapidly expanding oyster farms, showing that oyster aquaculture in China needs to recognize the current state of the industry, sort out development issues, and make timely adjustments. We selected Zhanjiang, one of the main oyster-producing areas in China, as the object of investigation, to analyze the data on oyster aquaculture in terms of area, production, farmers, mode, seedlings, and benefits, with the aim of figuring out the current status of the regional oyster aquaculture industry. Looking at the region as a whole, combining the current situation with the literature, it is concluded that China’s oyster aquaculture industry suffers from insufficient sea resources suitable for culture, backward management and technology, high yield but low efficiency, etc. Considering the resource conditions of the main producing areas and the comprehensive benefits, oyster aquaculture still has much room for development. To ensure the sustainability of the industry, it is necessary to strengthen the management of sea areas, regulate farmers, increase technological innovation, and improve economic efficiency.