Abstract:This paper includes four sections. 1. Significant changes in Chinese modern fisheries were explicitly expressed by three data sets (i.e. total fisheries production, per capita production of aquatic products, and aquaculture as a percentage of total production) over the past half century. Such changes document the substantial contributions of Chinese “aquaculture-primary” fisheries development mode, which not only make greatly contribution to ensuring food security, nutrition security and ecological security, but also overturn the development modes of global fisheries oriented or dominated by capture fisheries since 1840. The concept of “aquaculture-primary” has become the main direction of modern fisheries development. 2. The driving forces that stimulate the rapid and sustainable development of Chinese “aquaculture-primary” fisheries were elaborated, including advanced mental preparation, solid technological support, correct development decisions, and clear development concepts. These four aspects will remain to be important for future development. 3. The unique composition of aquaculture species and their considerable carbon sink functions constitute the major pivots for stable and sustainable development of Chinese “aquaculture-primary” fisheries. These characteristics remain essential foundation for supporting stable and sustainable development of Chinese modern fisheries oriented. 4. For the future, green and high-quality development will be a necessary strategy for sustainable development of Chinese modern fisheries. The top priorities are to build an environment-friendly aquaculture and implement an aquaculture carrying capacity planning and management system, and build a stock conservation-based capture fisheries and strengthen the catch quota management system and conservation measures. Therefore, the basic and applied research on sustainable fisheries goods needs to be strengthened for green and high-quality development of fisheries.
