Summary: The pace of China’s aquaculture development has been stymied by a slowdown in demand (both domestically and abroad). The future of South China’s aquatic industry rests on more than just safety or price, but on the establishment of sustainable fisheries practices domestically. Developing local demand for frozen fish remains a major undertaking for the mainly export-oriented South China fisheries industry. Given China’s limited natural resources, namely freshwater and fishmeal, the once export-oriented aquaculture industry in South China will need transform into a domestic supplier in order to survive the economic slowdown. Then, morph into an importer of aquatic products as China’s domestic demand outpaces that of the rest of the world.
