Photo Credit: Division of Fisheries Resources Conservation and Utilization, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian 

On March 18-20, the NRDC Oceans program, joined by Mr. Graeme Parks, Deputy Executive Director of MRAG Americas, who has over 30 years of professional experience in fisheries evaluation, monitoring and management, visited Zhejiang and Fujian provinces’ Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Pilots for domestic fisheries management. At the Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, the group had an in-depth review of the pilot’s first-year of implementation, with a focus on analyzing the findings from catch monitoring and at-sea observer programs. At the Fujian Fisheries Research Institute, the group reviewed the current TAC proposal and provided suggestions on the methodology and steps for building the scientific basis for the program. Both meetings fostered a lively exchange regarding international experience and the unique challenges of China’s fisheries. NRDC has been supporting the establishment of a TAC system in China since 2016 and will continue to seek opportunities for providing technical assistance to the pilots both in their design and implementation.