Factors Affecting Former Fishers’ Satisfaction with Fishing Ban Policies: Evidence from Middle and Upper Reaches of Yangtze River

Kun Liu, Minghao Xu (), Tinggui Chen and Yan Wang
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Kun Liu: College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
Minghao Xu: School of Arts and Social Science, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
Tinggui Chen: College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
Yan Wang: Agricultural Development Bank of China Tongxiang Branch, Tongxiang 314500, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: The Yangtze River fishing ban policy is one of the most important ecological protection measures in middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River. Research on fishers’ satisfaction with the ban will allow policymakers to improve and further optimize it. Based on the theoretical framework of sustainable livelihoods, policy cognition variables are used to explore how livelihood capital and policy cognition differences bring about satisfaction disparities. The research area includes three counties and cities in the Chishui River basin of Guizhou Province, together with Honghu City of Hubei Province, which were among the first areas of the country to implement this policy. The ordered probit model and structural equation model were applied and analyzed based on data that were collected through interviewing the fishers affected by the ban. The results indicate the following: (1) Physical capital, human capital, financial capital, and social capital are significantly and positively correlated with fishers’ satisfaction regarding the Yangtze River fishing ban. In contrast, natural capital does not significantly impact satisfaction. (2) Livelihood capital types have different impacts on the satisfaction of fishers regarding policies for the last aspects. The influence order has the following sequence: financial capital, physical capital, human capital, and social capital. (3) Enhancing fishers’ understanding of the ban could enhance their satisfaction with it. While formulating compensation policies, the government should comprehensively consider the impacts of livelihood capital, formulate special policies to perfect legislation and social security, and use more effective public relations strategies to raise fishers’ awareness of withdrawal policies. Notably, the selected variables and methods in this paper have the potential to significantly enhance the existing literature in the field of ecological management.

Keywords: Yangtze River protection; sustainable livelihoods; ordered probit; structural equation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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