Policies, Regulations, and Eco-ethical Wisdom Relating to Ancient Chinese Fisheries

• Published in: Journal of agricultural & environmental ethics Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 33 - 54
• Main Authors: Li, Maolin, Jin, Xianshi, Tang, Qisheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.02.2012; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural Economics; ancestry; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Chinese history; Consciousness; Conservation; Ecology; Ecosystems; Education; Environment and sustainable development; Environmental protection; Ethics; Evolutionary Biology; Exploitation and management of natural biological resources (hunting, fishing and exploited populations survey, etc.); Fisheries; fisheries law; Fisheries management; Fishery development; Fishery industry laws; Fishery resources; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; governance; History; humans; issues and policy; Legal; Legislation; Marine; Marine ecosystems; Marine fish; marine fisheries; Marine resources; Medical sciences; Natural products; Natural resources; people; Philosophy; Plant Sciences; Policies; Regulation; Resource conservation; Resource management; Resources management; Studies; Sustainable development; Theory of Medicine/Bioethics; Asia; China; Fishery resources management; Eco-ethical wisdom; Ecological moral claims; Ancient China; Sustainable development; Policies and regulations; Policy; Ethics; Fishery; Halieutic resources; Ecology; Resource management
• ISSN: 1187-7863; 1573-322X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10806-010-9288-9

Marine ecosystems are in serious troubles globally, largely due to the failures of fishery resources management. To restore and conserve fishery ecosystems, we need new and effective governance systems urgently. This research focuses on fisheries management in ancient China. We found that from 5,000 years ago till early modern era, Chinese ancestors had been constantly enthusiastic about sustainable utilization of fisheries resources and natural balance of fishery development. They developed numerous rigorous policies and regulations to guide people to act on natural laws. Being detailed and scientific, the legal systems had gained gratifying enforcement, due to official efforts and folks’ voluntary participation in resource management. In-depth analyses show that people’s consciousness of ecological conservation was derived from the edification of kinds of ancient eco-ethical wisdom, such as totemism, nature worship, Zhou Yi, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Mohism, etc. All this Chinese classical wisdom have the same cores: “Nature and Man in One” spirit, frugality and “All things are equal” concept. The findings show that eco-ethical thinking is never inconsistent with social ethic systems, and it’s of great importance to give legal effect to usual ecological moral claims and eco-ethical requirements of the public in protecting the environment. The eco-ethical wisdom is efficient in assisting and urging people to fulfill humans’ obligation for nature. Finally, it’s believed that present world fisheries management will benefit a lot from all these ancient Chinese thoughts and practices. People are expected to make the most of the eco-ethical wisdom, strengthen fishery legislation and fully stimulate their voluntary participation in both marine fishery resources conservation and fishery cyclic economy.