Agricultural development and the opportunities for aquatic resources research in China

China is a large and rapidly developing country. Fisheries and aquaculture have been prominent sectors in the contribution to GDP and the provision of food security, export revenue, and livelihoods for the poor. The rapid development has come at some cost to the environment and the sustainability of natural resources. Levels of marine fisheries catches are stagnant. Some of the rivers and major lakes are polluted and the restoration of the productivity of these lakes is of key concern. These Proceedings, made up of four papers that leading Chinese experts presented to WorldFish Center in 2002, review four aspects of these trends: agricultural development, environmental issues and the contribution of aquaculture and fisheries to development in China.