STATUS OF FISHERY PRODUCTS IN DIET IN CHINA

Abstract:

Based on the features of uneven geographic distribution of fishery production inChina and also combining with livestock poultry products as well as the present situation abroad,the level or animal protein available from fishery products in diet in the areas of coastal fishing,freshwater fishing and nonfishing mountain region were emphatically investigated. It was foundthat the coastal fishing area with a 30% of the total population of China occupied 73% of yearlytotal harvest, but instead the freshwater fishing area and nonfishing mountain region with a 70%more of the total population of China had only 27%. Although in 1989 the level of protein dailysupplied from fishery products throughout the country was approximately 3. 1 gram per capita, theaverage level of protein daily available in the coastal fishing area wa 7.4 gram per capita whichwas equivalent to the same level of most fishing nations amounting to around 40% higher in ani-mal protein. Therefore, the fishery products played an important role in assuring diet nutrition forthe people in the coastal fishing area. However, in the freshwater fishing area with a 40% of the to-tal population of China, the average level of protein available daily was only about 2.0 gram percapita that was equivalent to 16.6% in animal protein. Owing to rapid development in freshwateraquaculture in China in the recent years, it is very possible to raise the daily protein level to 3.1gram per capita in average throughout the country, whereas the protein level in some areas of cer-tain provinces might be likely approaching to that in the coastal fishing area by the end of the1990s. Unfortunately, in the nonfishing mountain region where has a 30% of the total populationof China the daily available protein level was only 0.3 gram per capita which could notsubstantially improve animal protein available in their diet.