The State Oceanographic Administration announced yesterday the
country's first program to classify sea areas by function, and said
that those who ignore these function divisions will be punished.
Based on geographical location, natural resources and natural
environmental conditions, the program will direct the development
of Chinese sea areas according to 10 specified purposes.
They are:
- Areas for development of harbors and communications;
- Fishery resources utilization, cultivation and protection;
Each designated area has special requirements for water quality and
approved human activities.
For example, the extraction of sea sand is not allowed in the
fishery resource protection area, while no sewage should be
discharged directly into areas for tourism.
"We shall see to it that each area is developed according to the
designated program, and will stop all activities not supposed to be
carried on in each of the designated areas," said Wang Fei, a
leading official with the administration, adding that the program
is expected to be in place by 2005.
Wang said the program will help improve the country's sea area
management by defining clearly, for the first time, the authority
over particular sea areas.
Various governmental departments, such as those in charge of
communications, water resources, tourism and oceanographic
administration, have been vying with each other for authority over
different sea areas since the late 1980s, when marine development
started to take off.
As
a result, some sea areas are largely untouched while others are
being over-exploited, causing serious pollution and marine resource
depletion.
The program will clearly help promote improvement of China's marine
environment, said Wang.
He
also disclosed that the administration is establishing an overall
monitoring system that will closely watch the implementation of the
program.
"If the development is not in line with the program, the sea area
use rights of responsible parties will be revoked," said Wang.
(China
Daily September 11, 2002)