Study On Economic Benefit Of Crab Culture In Net-enclosures In East Taihu Lake

As one of the largest freshwater lakes in China,Taihu Lake stretches across the two provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.It has been invaluable to people living in Jiangsu,Zhejiang and Shanghai and has contributed significantly to the development of economy.However,due to the excessive utilization of water resources and the continuous growth of the industrial economy along the lakes,the problem of lake pollution and excessive utilization of resources has become increasingly serious.The large-scale blue-green algae pollution in Taihu Lake,which broke out in 2007,has attracted the attention of society.More than 200,000 mu of farming areas in West Taihu Lake were removed at the end of the year.In order to maintain good ecological environment of Taihu Lake,a 45,000-mu healthy farming demonstration zone is established under the leadership of the fishery management department.The purpose of industrial structure adjustment in Taihu Lake aquaculture fisheries is to increase the economic benefits of aquaculture and realize the continuous growth of fishermen's income.More importantly,it will protect environmental resources effectively and realize the sustainable development of aquaculture fishery.This paper uses field survey,questionnaire survey,qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis to study the crab culturing industry in Taihu Lake.Through empirical research,we will explore the change of economic benefits with the industrial restructuring,the main factors affecting the aquaculture benefits,and economic institutional arrangements for sustainable development of aquaculture fishery.The field investigation has shown that there were great differences in farmers'crab-culturing experience and management level.The cause of instability in aquaculture production was natural disasters and aquaculture diseases,overall aquaculture benefits are generally low.Literature reviews and field investigation also indicate that the evolution of aquaculture fishery in Taihu Lake has undergone four stages.There are traditional culture mode,intensive culture mode,special aquatic products aquaculture mode and sustainable development mode.In the traditional culture mode,farmers attach importance to high input of natural resources and human resources,but capital input and technical level are rather low.On the basis of traditional culture mode,farmers have been enlarging capital and technology input in the stage of intensive culture mode.In this situation,environmental pollution is continuously serious.The stage of the special aquatic aquaculture mode is still seeking high profits.In addition to the steady investment in environmental,human,capital,and technological factors,the brand's role in the growth of economic benefits is also attracting attention.Early this century,the aquaculture fishery in Taihu Lake has involved sustainable development mode.The theory of sustainable development mode is to improve the economic efficiency of aquaculture fishery and achieve continuous growth of fishermen's income as sustainable development coming true,but ecological environment should be protected.It is characterized by the restriction of natural resources,human resources and capital input.To achieve sustainable development of crab-culturing,we should take consideration to technical elements,brand elements,sustainable development elements,and institutional elements.Although it is more socially acceptable now to develop sustainable crab-culturing economy,how can fishermen do something to realize the goal would be a worthy topic for us.The study uses field survey,questionnaires,quantitative analysis,qualitative analysis and other research methods to describe statistically the age of farmers,educational level,and aquaculture experience of the surveyed areas.Next,analyzing the cost composition of crab-culturing by mathematical statistics analysis.Then,analyzing the cost-benefit and different influencing factors of farming crab.The paper also decomposes the differences in economic benefits among four farming areas based on the OLS regression and the Oaxaca-Blinder method.The study shows some results as fellows.First,the effect of feeding,labor and seeding cost on total cost is significant and feeding cost is more than 50%of total cost.Secondly,the main factors to cause the difference of benefits between different farming areas are prices of adult crab and inputs of production factors.The main influence factors on farming profits are prices of farming crab in market,the market size of adult crab and the distribution channel.The effect of inputs production factors on benefit are quite different.In some study areas,the effect is positive correction and in some areas is negative correction.Among of the different factors the feed cost has a significant impact on economic benefit.What's more,the farming area has a significant negative impact on economic benefit.Third,about the economic benefit,the differences between 7^th area and 10^thh area are the maximum.And the contribution rate of unexplained difference to total difference is higher than explained difference.Among them,the differences in the quality of crabs and bait are the most important factors.In the end,combining with the analysis results of cost-benefit difference and modern economic theory,we propose some policy recommendations to raise the income of farmers and promote healthy and sustainable development of enclosure crab-culturing:?1?Technical level:promote the alternative feed technologies and the development of alternative feed with high utilization,cost-effective and low pollution and spread the scientific breeding.?2?Brand level:guide to join the specialized farmers cooperatives and expand modern distribution network.To avoid the limitations that caused by decentralized operations,and improve the operating efficiency and build the Taihu River crab brand.?23?Institutional level:promote the innovation of circulation of lease rights and develop a new type of collective cooperative economic organization.?4?The theory of sustainable development level:cultivate fishermen's consciousness of environmental protection to achieve sustainable development of fisheries.