The Transformation of Coastal Governance, from Human Ecology to Local State, in the Jimei Peninsula, Xiamen, China

Abstract

The coastal zone, situated at the sensitive interface between land and sea, serves as a pivotal area of human economic activities. As one of China’s economic special zones, Xiamen exemplifies the comprehensive trajectory of coastal governance in China. However, there are still research gaps in the human ecological transitions in coastal governance. This study adopts the research approach of scale politics and the local state, with the purpose of explaining the governance model of the coastal zone transformation. Sources include interviews with fishers, direct observation, participant observation, and content analysis. The study demonstrates how local governments strive to maximize the profits of scenic tourism, by (1) appropriating the international scale, absorbing international aid and technical assistance; (2) confiscating the access rights of the coastal zone; and (3) vertically integrating all relationships from local to international organizations to create new governance patterns. Xiamen’s coastal landscape not only presents the meltdown of human ecology under local state governance but also demonstrates a keen adaptation to the shifting dynamics of the international tourism market. From the theoretical perspective of the local state, this paper effectively points out the political characteristics of local government and bridges the loss of cultural ecology in the transformation of governance patterns.

Urban Governance, Economic Transformation, and Land Use: A Case Study on the Jimei Peninsula, Xiamen, China, 1936–2023

“…The peninsula is studded with fishing villages, ports, schools and other elements, still maintaining the landscape of the early 20th century. However, the latest research from Yu-Yan Zhang, Zhe Zou [31] and Zou, Zhang [32] points out that the spatial pattern of the Jimei Peninsula coastal zone generally maintains the mosaic pattern of fishing villages and educational spaces [33]. However, after 1994, the spatial governance model of the coastal zone completely changed.…”

“…The change in this model came with the economic transformation of the city. Among these changes, the "Coastal Exclusion Policy (CEP)" has had a significant impact on the fishing villages around Xiamen Island, as fishers were forced to withdraw from coastal areas [32]. This policy means that coastal communities and fishing villages will also lose their unique production patterns and landscapes, but this important point was not mentioned in the aforementioned article.…”

“…Due to safety needs and spiritual sustenance, many beliefs and taboos have arisen [48]. For example, the fishers of Dashe Fishing Village go to Tianfei Palace and Dragon King's Palace together before going to sea for the first time in the new year [32]. The same beliefs and practices strengthen the cohesion of local fisher organizations [47,50].…”

“…The year 2002 marked a turning point in coastalzone governance. The "Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Aquaculture in the Western Sea Area" policy, commonly known as the "Coastal Exclusion Policy (CEP)", was implemented [32]. In 2006, the Jimei Peninsula began to implement the CEP in an attempt to restore the ecology.…”

“…However, since 1964, land reclamation has expanded the area of the peninsula and the length of the coastline, completely changing the original appearance of the coastal zone. Initially, only the coastline at the southern end of the peninsula had minimal changes [32], but it was completely artificial by the end of 2023.…”