Dynamics of inland fishery remain poorly understood despite their increasing socioeconomic importance and rapid growth. Here we analyze the changes in the dynamics of Chinese traditional and new inland fisheries by examining 26 years (1991-2016) of reported annual catch and mean trophic level in relation to socioeconomic development in China at provincial level. Results from spatial panel linear models indicate a significant correlation between socioeconomic and fishery variables, strongly suggesting that the development of these fisheries is nested in the socioeconomic context specific to each province. A preference towards higher trophic level species (i.e., investment in quality) is revealed under a status of socioeconomic wealth, while a focus on production (i.e., quantity) is observed when population, and therefore food demand, increases. By providing novel evidence on the links between large-scale dynamics in production and trophic structure of a country's inland fishery and the socioeconomic context driving the fish demand and consumption, our work represents an important contribution towards a broader assessment and management of inland fishery resources.
Keywords: Fishery management; Inland fishery; Production; Quality; Socioeconomic context; Structural dynamics.
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