I. The Construction of the Demonstration Zone

In November 2018, Fuzhou was designated by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources as one of China’s 14 Demonstration Zones for Marine Economic Development. In February 2019, the municipal government issued the "Notice of the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government on the Establishment of the Leading Group for the Construction of the Fuzhou Demonstration Zone for Marine Economic Development" to establish a leading group with the mayor, You Mengjun, as the group leader, and the five deputy mayors as the deputy group leaders. The leading group has a general office, whose director is Yan Keshi, one of the deputy mayors. In October 2019, the "Overall Plan for the Construction of the Demonstration Zone for Marine Economic Development in Fuzhou Municipality, Fujian Province" was approved by the provincial government, specifying Fuzhou’s tasks and goals in the construction of the Demonstration Zone. With promoting the market allocation of marine resources and innovating in marine related financial services as the driving forces, with the project-driven methodology, and through expanding the blue economic space of high-quality innovation, Fuzhou will build a large international deep-water port, improve the marine ecological environment and create a new pattern of open marine cooperation, so as to drive the whole city's high-quality development in marine economy and achieve the goal of becoming a strong marine city by 2025.

II. The Work of Demonstration and Innovation

1. Innovation in the market allocation of marine resources. First, to explore the compilation of a natural resource balance sheet with marine resources as the main content. In Lianjiang County, a pilot program was carried out to compile a natural resource balance sheet, which has marine resources as the key content, and establish the mechanism of relevant value transformation. The program explored the ways to transform the value of marine ecological products, established a system featuring the synergy of the four elements of “governments, enterprises, finance and fishermen", practiced the concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” and realized the “two transitions", namely the transition from static ecological resources to dynamic value output and the transition from ecological advantages to economic advantages. After achieving outstanding economic, social and ecological benefits, the methodology has been promoted throughout the city. Second, the "reformation of marine aquaculture rights" in Lianjiang County has achieved initial results. Since 2019, Lianjiang County has carried out a pilot program for the "reformation of marine aquaculture rights", whose major tasks are to separate the three rights of ownership, use, and management, and to link the “two certificates", namely the certificate of the right to use sea areas and the certificate of breeding in water areas and tidal flats. The program was adjusted according to different types of sea areas. For sea areas with no disputes of village boundaries, the sea aquacultural areas shall be uniformly reserved by the village committee. One example of the above mentioned policy pacticed is Dajian Village, Huangqi Township, Lianjiang County. For sea areas with unclear village boundaries, the sea aquacultural areas shall be uniformly reserved by the township-owned enterprises. One example of this is Xiagong Township, Lianjiang County. The sea areas deeper than 30 meters are uniformly preserved for development and construction by the county-owned enterprises. These pilot programs have clarified the rights and obligations of aquaculture practitioners, standardized aquacultural behaviors, helped solve the problem of capital shortage, and provided models and references for expanding marine aquaculture to the open seas, upgrading and restructuring fishery, strengthening marine ecological protection and promoting the transformation of fishery villages.

2. Innovation in models of marine related financial services. First, to increase policy support. "Three Measures on Financial Support for the Development of Private Enterprises in Marine Fishery" was issued to increase financial support for private enterprises and facilitate the financing of private enterprises in marine fishery. Second, to build a financial interconnection platform. The “Strait Fund Port” was launched to promote the cooperation between banks in Fuzhou and the Marine Fishery Association. Third, to improve the credit service mechanism. The Fujian Strait Bank designated its Lianjiang Branch as an institution exclusive to marine related services. For enterprises and aquacultural farmers, the financial institutes in Fuzhou tailor-make, according to the characteristics and needs of the marine industry, special financial products, such as "Weijie Loan" and "Agriculture-Promoting E-loan" ”, “Abalone Loan”, “Fishery-Promoting Loan”, the ship asset mortgage loan and so on. Fourth, to establish marine industry’s credit fund pools. Strategic cooperation agreements were signed with the Rural Commercial Bank of Fuzhou and the Fuzhou Branch of the Postal Savings Bank of China to establish one marine industry’s credit fund pool of 2 billion yuan per year and another pool of no less than 10 billion yuan in five years, respectively.

3. The project-driven development. In 2019, a total of 75 marine economic projects in Fuzhou were included in the project list for the construction of the demonstration zone, with an overall investment of 83.4 billion yuan. With the joint efforts of various departments at all levels in the city, the actual investment reached 15 billion yuan, accounting for 115% of the year’s planned investment, which has driven the rapid growth of the marine economy. The city’s gross ocean production has exceeded 268 billion yuan, accomplishing the goal set in the 13th Five Year Plan ahead of schedule.

In 2020, a total of 101 marine economic projects in Fuzhou were included in the project list for the construction of the demonstration zone, with a total investment of 131.5 billion yuan. As of September, the actual investment reached 17.9 billion yuan, accounting for 87% of the year’s planned investment.