9 Chinese Law and Policy on Marine Environmental Protection
173
and geological. As a result, the National Forestry and Grasslands Bureau will have
jurisdiction over the entire marine reserves, the division of land and sea management
in marine reserves will come to end.
125
MEE—The MEE has taken on the environmental protection responsibilities
formerly divided across six other bodies and its establishment will unify the governance of marine and land-sources pollution. One of its key mandates is to supervise efforts to prevent environment pollution, formulate and implement regulations
for pollution of air, water, sea, soil, noise, light, odor, solid waste, chemicals, and
vehicles.
126 According to it, the work relating to pollution from oil exploration and
exploitation and the matter of dumping at sea are taken over by MEE.
Maritime Safety Administration—The responsibility of prevention of pollution from ships rests with the Maritime Safety Administration under the Ministry of
Transport. It has the authority to enforce laws and regulations related to marine environment protection, and to regulate non-military vessels inside the port waters and
non-fishing vessels outside the port waters. It responsible for handling marine pollution from vessels and water transport violation case; conducting safety supervision
over ships carrying dangerous goods and drawing up the qualification standards of
ships examination, piloting organization and shipping management company. Under
the ministries reform, the duty of inspection and supervision of fishing vessels, which
used to be part of the Fishery Administration’s duties have been shifted to the Ministry
of Transport.
People’s Armed Police—The leadership of China’s coast guard now rests with
the People’s Armed Police. The marine police crops under the People’s Armed
Police have been established to safeguard China’s marine rights and to improve
the law enforcement. The coast guard has the authorized power to enforce the
laws including marine environmental protection and resource utilization and combat
maritime criminals.
Fisheries Administration—As an important issue in the field of marine environment, law enforcement is also required to manage fishing vessels and fishing ports,
and to ensure the sustainability of marine fishery resources. Fisheries management
fall under the responsibility of the Bureau of Fisheries of Ministry of Agriculture,
which has not been affected much in this ministerial structure adjustment. The main
function of the Bureau of Fisheries is to administer fishery sector, put forward development strategies on fisheries, draft related laws, draw up measures for the protection
of fishery resources, administer the permits of fishing boats, and coordinate fishing
activities nationwide.
To ensure the enforcement of fisheries laws and regulations, three coastal fisheries
management bureaus were established at regional level. They are Bureau of Yellow
Sea and Bohai Bay, Bureau of East China Sea and Bureau of South China Sea. There
125 Marine reserves formerly under the administration of the SOA usually contain parts of coastal
wetlands, which are also under the jurisdiction of the former State Forestry Administration. Therefore, there are often two or even more authorities in one marine reserve, which might cause the
problem of management overlaps.
126 The Information for mandates of MEE is available at english.mee.gov.cn/About_MEE/Mandates/,
last accessed 28 January 2020.
173
and geological. As a result, the National Forestry and Grasslands Bureau will have
jurisdiction over the entire marine reserves, the division of land and sea management
in marine reserves will come to end.
125
MEE—The MEE has taken on the environmental protection responsibilities
formerly divided across six other bodies and its establishment will unify the governance of marine and land-sources pollution. One of its key mandates is to supervise efforts to prevent environment pollution, formulate and implement regulations
for pollution of air, water, sea, soil, noise, light, odor, solid waste, chemicals, and
vehicles.
126 According to it, the work relating to pollution from oil exploration and
exploitation and the matter of dumping at sea are taken over by MEE.
Maritime Safety Administration—The responsibility of prevention of pollution from ships rests with the Maritime Safety Administration under the Ministry of
Transport. It has the authority to enforce laws and regulations related to marine environment protection, and to regulate non-military vessels inside the port waters and
non-fishing vessels outside the port waters. It responsible for handling marine pollution from vessels and water transport violation case; conducting safety supervision
over ships carrying dangerous goods and drawing up the qualification standards of
ships examination, piloting organization and shipping management company. Under
the ministries reform, the duty of inspection and supervision of fishing vessels, which
used to be part of the Fishery Administration’s duties have been shifted to the Ministry
of Transport.
People’s Armed Police—The leadership of China’s coast guard now rests with
the People’s Armed Police. The marine police crops under the People’s Armed
Police have been established to safeguard China’s marine rights and to improve
the law enforcement. The coast guard has the authorized power to enforce the
laws including marine environmental protection and resource utilization and combat
maritime criminals.
Fisheries Administration—As an important issue in the field of marine environment, law enforcement is also required to manage fishing vessels and fishing ports,
and to ensure the sustainability of marine fishery resources. Fisheries management
fall under the responsibility of the Bureau of Fisheries of Ministry of Agriculture,
which has not been affected much in this ministerial structure adjustment. The main
function of the Bureau of Fisheries is to administer fishery sector, put forward development strategies on fisheries, draft related laws, draw up measures for the protection
of fishery resources, administer the permits of fishing boats, and coordinate fishing
activities nationwide.
To ensure the enforcement of fisheries laws and regulations, three coastal fisheries
management bureaus were established at regional level. They are Bureau of Yellow
Sea and Bohai Bay, Bureau of East China Sea and Bureau of South China Sea. There
125 Marine reserves formerly under the administration of the SOA usually contain parts of coastal
wetlands, which are also under the jurisdiction of the former State Forestry Administration. Therefore, there are often two or even more authorities in one marine reserve, which might cause the
problem of management overlaps.
126 The Information for mandates of MEE is available at english.mee.gov.cn/About_MEE/Mandates/,
last accessed 28 January 2020.