At the 2026 Fisheries and Fishery Administration Work Deployment Meeting, officials highlighted that 2026 marked the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, making it a critical period for setting the direction and laying the groundwork for the sector’s next stage of development.
MARA called for all fisheries and fishery administration units under the ministry to align benchmarks and standards, ensure rigorous implementation, and accelerate the modernisation of the fisheries sector.
Safety and regulation
During this pivotal period, the officials highlighted the importance of safeguarding its “two bottom lines” of safety.
This included protecting fishermen’s lives and property as well as ensuring safe aquatic products for consumers.
At the same time, they called for the sector to uphold “two red lines” of regulation and enforcement.
This included the regulation of distant-water fisheries and cracking down on illegal cross-boundary fishing in nearshore waters.
This signalled China’s intention to tighten oversight of overseas fishing activities and take stronger action against unlawful operations.
Following this, Han Jun, Party Secretary and head of MARA conducted a video inspection of to review fisheries safety and the operations of distant-water fishing vessels.
He emphasised the goal to stabilise the safety situation in marine fisheries while supporting high-quality development in the sector.
Balancing food security and sustainability
Thirdly, the authorities were called to shoulder the “two primary responsibilities” of guaranteeing a stable supply of high-quality aquatic products while protecting fisheries resources and the ecological environment.
This reflects Beijing’s broader push to balance food security objectives with conservation goals, including stock recovery and ecosystem protection.
MARA’s sustainability agenda continues the work begun on the Yangtze River, where a fishing ban over the last five years has supported fish stock recovery and ecosystem protection.
Finally, to drive the sector forward, authorities will activate the “two driving forces” for development.
These include deepening fishing vessel reform and promoting innovation-driven, technology-based upgrading of production systems that are tailored to local needs.
There was also an emphasis on raising governance standards and imposing stricter administrative requirements, with a focus on building a disciplined and capable fisheries administration workforce.
The meeting emphasised the need to “meticulously implement” these key points.
