'Golden' coastal zone boosts Guangdong economy

Guangdong province authorities recently released the Overall Planning for Comprehensive Protection and Utilization of Coastal Zone in Guangdong province.

Officials from the State Oceanic Administration and the Department of Ocean and Fisheries of Guangdong detailed the planning at a press conference held by the Information Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province.

Qu Jiashu, deputy director of the Department of Ocean and Fisheries of Guangdong Province introduced the background, compilation progress and major contents of the planning.

Guangdong has the longest coastline of all provinces in the Chinese mainland, as well as being home to a vast coverage of mud flats, fine bays, atolls and abundant marine life and mineral resources.

In 2016, the province had a Gross Ocean Production (GOP) of 1.59 trillion yuan ($240.6 billion), accounting for 20 percent of the country's total GOP and has ranked first in China for the past 22 years. The coastal zone is the core economic and most dynamic area in the province, with the provincial GOP accounted for 20 percent of the gross regional production (GRP). A total of 14 coastal cities occupy 47 percent of the province's land area and are home to 74 percent of total population, generating 88 percent of the provincial gross domestic production (GDP).

To compile the planning, the Department of Ocean and Fisheries of Guangdong Province conducted research under the guidance of experts to study the ecological system and resource environmental bearing capacity of the coastal zone before releasing management and investigation schemes to each subdivision.

Six working teams were dispatched to inspect the 4,114-kilometer coastline. More than 1,000 areas were explored and approximately 7,800 photos and 450 videos have been taken with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles. The department also convened policy seminars on coastal zone planning and the management of sea area use.

The planning contains eight chapters which clearly and profoundly elaborate how to protect and utilize the coastal zone, as well as providing guidance and a basis for the development of the marine economy.

Liu Yan, from the State Oceanic Administration spoke highly of the planning. He said that it provided references and experiences for other coastal provinces or even the country to make general planning on coastal zone protection and utilization.