On November 25, 2025, Nanjing Maritime Court rendered a civil ruling granting judicial confirmation to a marine ecological environmental damage compensation agreement reached through consultation between a marine environmental supervision authority and the liable party, with support from the procuratorial authorities. This case marks the first instance in Jiangsu Province in which a marine ecological damage compensation agreement has been judicially confirmed by a maritime court.
In July 2025, Wang, despite knowing that the fishing moratorium was in effect, repeatedly departed from Ganyu District of Lianyungang City and sailed to nearby coastal waters. Together with hired crew members, he used fishing nets to illegally catch a total of approximately 3.6 tons of swimming crabs, with a market value of RMB 126,852. As July falls within the statutory fishing ban period, a critical season for marine species reproduction and ecological recovery, Wang’s illegal fishing activities caused serious damage to the structure of fishery resources and the stability of the marine ecosystem in the coastal waters of Lianyungang.
Following the incident, the procuratorial authorities initiated a civil public interest litigation procedure and issued a public notice in accordance with the law, informing competent authorities of their right to assert claims. During the notice period, the Ganyu District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs expressed its intention to initiate marine ecological damage compensation procedures.
With the support of the procuratorial authorities, a consultation mechanism was established between the Bureau and Wang. Based on the Marine Environment Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Jiangsu Provincial Fisheries Administration Regulations, and relevant technical standards, the Bureau scientifically assessed the total ecological damage at RMB 190,278.
Through legal explanation and reasoning by the procuratorial authorities, Wang acknowledged the ecological harm caused and his legal liability. On September 22, 2025, the Ganyu District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Wang reached a consensus and signed a Marine Ecological Environmental Damage Compensation Agreement, which was subsequently submitted to Nanjing Maritime Court for judicial confirmation.
On October 24, 2025, Nanjing Maritime Court held a public hearing to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts, compensation standards, allocation of liability, and the parties’ true intentions. Representatives from the Lianyungang Municipal People’s Procuratorate and the Ganyu District People’s Procuratorate attended the hearing and presented opinions on ecological damage, consultation procedures, and public interest protection. The Lianyungang Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau observed the proceedings. To safeguard the public’s right to know and participate, the Court published the contents of the agreement on the official judicial announcement platform for a 30-day period. No written objections were received during the announcement period.
On November 25, 2025, the Court ruled that the compensation agreement did not violate mandatory legal provisions and did not harm national or public interests. The Court affirmed that the administrative authority, as the body responsible for protecting marine fishery resources, had lawfully fulfilled its duties with the support and supervision of the procuratorial authorities. The Court further noted that swimming crabs and other fishery resources in the Yellow Sea are integral components of the marine ecosystem, and that illegal fishing undermines both ecological balance and environmental stability. The Court held that the compensation funds stipulated in the agreement would be promptly used for marine ecological restoration, effectively remedying ecological losses while also serving as a deterrent against future illegal fishing activities. Accordingly, the Court granted judicial confirmation of the agreement. All compensation funds will be exclusively allocated to ecological restoration of the damaged marine area.
This case represents Jiangsu Province’s first judicial confirmation of a marine ecological damage compensation agreement by a maritime court. By supporting administrative authorities in conducting compensation consultations and applying for judicial confirmation, the procuratorial authorities explored a coordinated pathway between public interest litigation and the marine ecological damage compensation system. The case ensures timely implementation of compensation, demonstrates effective coordination between judicial and administrative bodies in protecting public interests, and provides a replicable and promotable model for handling similar marine ecological damage cases in the future.
Professor Han Lixin of Dalian Maritime University commented that the case is a vivid example of implementing the guiding principles of strengthening marine ecological protection, improving public interest litigation mechanisms, and applying restorative justice concepts. She noted that the Court’s use of public hearings and public announcements ensured substantive judicial review and public participation, contributing to the sound operation of the marine ecological damage compensation consultation mechanism and the continuous improvement of China’s marine environmental governance system.
