Protecting offshore islands and developing sustainably
- Source: Global Times
- [01:18 July 02 2009]
- Comments
By Bi Hua
China’s top legislators have started discussions on a draft law to protect the environment on China’s islands, in response to the serious ecological situation.
China has more than 6,900 islands bigger than 500 square meters and more than 10,000 smaller islands scattered in its roughly 3 million square meter sea territory. But over the past decade, North China’s Hebei Province lost 60 islands, East China’s Fujian Province lost 83 and South China’s Hainan Province lost 51, according to China’s State Oceanic Administration.
Many factors led to the decrease of the number of islands. Some were swept by storms and typhoons. Some were submerged as the sea level rises due to global warming. Statistics may also be a factor, as China only conducted one survey on its islands after 1949, which was completed in the 1990s. A new survey is underway.
But a main factor of the reduction in China’s islands is disorganized development, misuse of natural resources and pollution.
Some islands have become joined with land as part of reclamation efforts aimed at boosting real estate development. This has damaged wetlands areas crucial to preserving biodiversity.
Explosions, usually seen in unregulated quarrying, have also destroyed many islands. In order to capture more fish and earn more money, some fishermen have been blowing up coral reefs where large numbers of fish live. They then sell coral to tourists for just a few dollars.
Random dumping of rubbish and toxic objects produced by firms and agriculture and household garbage pollutes seawater, causing the death of coral reefs that work as a wall protecting fish around islands and along the coast against storms. This causes severe damage to the fragile eco-system.
China’s past developing concept of focusing on the economy and neglecting environmental protection led to uneven development and today’s island issues.
Unreasonable management of islands, sea areas and the coast also factor into uneven development. There are too many departments involved in managing islands. The Ocean and Fishery Department is in charge of sea areas, while the Department of Land Environment and Resources holds authority for the seashore and the land part of islands. The Forestry Department is responsible for the shelter belts along the coast.
Actually islands and their surroundings should be regarded and protected as a whole. Protecting coastal zones, including mangrove and shelter belts, is especially important for protecting islands since typhoons easily damage coastal zones and islands without mangrove and shelter belts.
The draft law, if passed and employed, will surely enhance the protection of China’s islands and island ecology. Not all islands are suitable for development. Whether they should be developed or not depends on their size and their environment.
Some islands are so far away from the mainland that the development cost would be too high as it would be difficult to send supplies there.
The government should also encourage some State-owned enterprises and private enterprises to develop islands to achieve better results. Of course relevant regulations and laws should be issued first.
It’s urgent for China to promote the protection of its islands and sea areas.
This story was compiled by Li Yanjie based on an interview with Bi Hua, dean of the Institute of Geography and Tourism at Hainan Normal University