ABSTRACT
For centuries, the South China Sea has provided abundant fisheries for its coastal countries. Flushed all year round by several large rivers, the flat and shallow seabeds of the South China Sea are among the world’s most productive fishing grounds. Fisheries are important around the South China Sea as providers of an inexpensive form of protein, a means of livelihood, and a source of foreign exchange earnings. A large portion of the coastal workforce is dependent on the marine environment through employment in fishing, marine transportation, offshore exploration and extraction of hydrocarbon and other natural resources, recreation, and tourism.
