The study of symbiotic relationships between the economic and the ecological system of China’s mariculture industry—An empirical analysis of 10 coastal regions with Lokta–Volterra model

Abstract With the rapidly increasing consumption of seafood in China, mariculture obtains a prominent position in the national economy. However, ecological security of the mariculture industry remains an important issue in China and cannot be ignored. In this paper, Lokta–Volterra model is adopted to uncover the symbiotic relationships between the economic and the ecological system over time. The results reveal that, the symbiotic relationships of mariculture industry in China can be divided into four types:mutualistic symbiosis pattern, industrial damage pattern, ecological damage pattern and mutual inhibition competition pattern. The frequency of mutualistic symbiosis and mutual inhibition competition pattern is relatively low, while the unbalanced pattern represented by ecological damage and industrial damage is dominant. When it comes to regional mariculture ecological health, Guangxi, Fujian and Tianjin are dominated by the healthy state, and Shandong and Hebei are in the sub-health state. Liaoning was in a state of high risk. For other provinces, the health states fluctuate greatly. Thus, enhancing coordination, pollution control, intensive farming, and overall planning is critical to mariculture ecological sustainability.