The East China Sea (ECS) Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) is a globally significant fishing ground, but the absence of cooperative regional management impedes the future sustainability of ECS fisheries. To navigate around nationally focused perspectives, we provide an up to date synthesis about the socio-economic importance and status of ECS fisheries at the ecosystem level, which is currently lacking in the literature. Our review indicates that ECS LME fisheries contribute around 6 million t in catch and USD 13 billion in landed value annually, and employ up to an estimated 1.4 million, the majority of who are small-scale fishers. However, the fisheries benefits are threatened by intense fishing pressure and rapid economic development which exacerbates the effects of overfishing. The future of ECS fisheries also faces climate uncertainties, which has already been associated with shifts in species distribution and spatial distribution of fishing effort. At the LME level, political disputes that inhibit crucial multilateral fisheries management threaten the future sustainability of ECS fish stocks, and also weaken the effects of national management measures which have largely failed to address fisheries overcapacity and coastal marine degradation. Continuing on a path focussed on national interests without considering LME wide dynamics risks jeopardising the significant fisheries socio-economic and ecological benefits that accrue to all LME countries. Thus, our review emphasises the urgency for multilateral ECS fisheries management to enhance ecosystem resilience so that fisheries resources can continue to support the region’s human, social, and economic well-being into the future.

中文翻译：

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盘点：东海渔业社会经济和生态趋势的大海洋生态系统视角

东海 (ECS) 大型海洋生态系统 (LME) 是全球重要的渔场，但缺乏区域合作管理阻碍了 ECS 渔业未来的可持续性。为了围绕以国家为重点的观点，我们提供了有关 ECS 渔业在生态系统层面的社会经济重要性和状况的最新综合，目前文献中缺乏这些。我们的审查表明，ECS LME 渔业每年贡献约 600 万吨的渔获量和 130 亿美元的上岸价值，并雇用多达 140 万名员工，其中大多数是小规模渔民。然而，渔业收益受到巨大的捕捞压力和快速的经济发展的威胁，这加剧了过度捕捞的影响。ECS渔业的未来也面临气候不确定性，这已经与捕捞努力的物种分布和空间分布的变化有关。在 LME 层面，抑制关键多边渔业管理的政治争端威胁到 ECS 鱼类种群未来的可持续性，也削弱了在很大程度上未能解决渔业产能过剩和沿海海洋退化问题的国家管理措施的效果。继续走专注于国家利益的道路而不考虑 LME 广泛的动态，可能会危及所有 LME 国家的重大渔业社会经济和生态效益。因此，我们的审查强调了多边 ECS 渔业管理以增强生态系统恢复力的紧迫性，以便渔业资源能够在未来继续支持该地区的人类、社会和经济福祉。