Management of marine nature reserves in China: a legal perspective.

Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy, September, 2003 by Zou Keyuan

1. INTRODUCTION

The establishment of marine nature reserves is an indispensable link in the chain of protection of the marine environment. The designation and management of marine nature reserves is one of the best ways to conserve marine biodiversity and to prevent overall deterioration of the marine ecological environment. Marine nature reserves help to maintain ecosystem productivity and to safeguard essential ecological processes by controlling activities that disrupt them or that physically damage the environment. Furthermore, a major role of the coastal and marine nature reserves is to preserve genetic resources. Both ecological processes and genetic resources must be maintained for the sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems. Thus reserves are...