From double livelihood security to multiple crises: analysis of “Shi Hai” fishermen based on political in Fengcheng town, China

Fengcheng town is a small fishing town in Jiaodong Peninsula, China, which is developed by marine fishery and marine-related industries. When the surrounding towns have rapid multi-industry development based on marine resources, Fengcheng town has become a relatively poor area that seems to be “ignored” by “development”. Through my previous field research and online interviews, I found that there are generally some marine-related industries and multiple industries in line with the performance of urbanization and modernization in several major fishing villages in Fengcheng town. And for the fishermen, they have experienced changes from the relatively stable livelihood structure of half fishery and half X industry to the livelihood structure of employment in various industries. However, under the impact of excessive capture fishing and environmental problems, the government began to implement a long-term “New Rural Construction” policy and a strict “Fishing Ban” policy. These policies and other related measures that seem to protect the livelihood of fishermen and promote the sustainable development of marine fisheries have made fishermen fallen into multiple crises dominated by “Shi Hai” (deprived of the ocean). Based on the theoretical framework of political ecology, I will analyse the reasons why fishermen changed into a more vulnerable and marginalized situation.