The South China Sea fishery is being depleted at an unsustainable rate and in a destructive manner.

Key points:

• Twelve per cent of the global fish catch comes from the South China Sea, but that fishery is headed for collapse.
• This will have important national security implications for regional countries and Australia. Ensuing security tensions will be exacerbated by fishing nationalism.
• Establishing a sovereignty neutral international fisheries management regime could resolve this and encourage habits of cooperation amongst claimants.
• Consumer states and civil society will need to play a role to achieve this.

Policy recommendations:

• Australia should support the establishment of a regional fisheries management organisation to preserve the fish stocks of the South China Sea.
• Australia should offer practical support on fisheries management to regional countries.
• Civil society should promote, and governments support, greater transparency and awareness on fishing practices and marine degradation in the region.