China Cites Guangdong, Guangxi for Marine Environmental Failures

China’s Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspection has released reports detailing severe marine ecological protection failures in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, exposing systemic issues including aquaculture wastewater pollution, mangrove forest degradation, and untreated sewage discharge into coastal waters. The findings, published on May 26, 2026, by Xinhua News, represent the latest enforcement actions under the third round, sixth batch of central environmental inspections.

Widespread Aquaculture Pollution

In Guangdong, the Central Fourth Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspection Team found that all six randomly inspected aquaculture farms in Huidong County, Huizhou, were discharging wastewater that exceeded legal limits. Total nitrogen concentrations reached 26.3 mg/L — 6.5 times the provincial standard — while total phosphorus hit 2.8 mg/L, or 4.6 times the limit. Four of these farms discharged directly into the Daya Bay Aquatic Resources Provincial Nature Reserve and the Huidong Mangrove Nature Reserve.

According to the inspection report, the Fengmao Huacao Planting Company discharged wastewater into the core protected area of Daya Bay Nature Reserve, creating a visible dark pollution belt on the sea surface. In Yangjiang, inspectors discovered 56 discharge outlets within 7 kilometers of strictly protected coastline in Yangxi County.

Mangrove Degradation and Restoration Failures

Mangrove ecosystems — critical for water purification, biodiversity maintenance, and coastal protection — have suffered significant damage in both provinces. In Huizhou’s Daya Bay Nature Reserve, mangroves began dying and degrading from 2023, yet the Huidong County Forestry Bureau failed to investigate the causes or take remedial action. Approximately 800 trees have died and another 100 have degraded or withered.

In Yangjiang, the Salonong Agricultural Technology Company illegally occupied 962 mu (approximately 64 hectares) of tidal flats without permits, including 359 mu within the Yangjiang Pinggang Mangrove Nature Reserve.

The situation is equally dire in Guangxi. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment reported that in Beihai’s Shankou Mangrove Ecological National Nature Reserve, two rounds of mangrove planting in the same area resulted in mass mortality, with only 0.65 hectares surviving — a survival rate of just 5.1%. Local authorities had reported the planned planting area as actual completed area in 2023 before the project passed acceptance inspection.

Qinzhou planned 260 hectares of mangrove restoration in the Maoweihai Mangrove Nature Reserve but completed only 146.8 hectares, yet also reported the planned area as completed in 2024. Inspectors found 125 prohibited fishing tools in the reserve, 38 of them in the core protected area.

Coastal River and Sewage Infrastructure Failures

In Huizhou, the Dakeng River and Xianzai Creek in Huidong County suffer from inadequate sewage pipe networks and insufficient rainwater-sewage separation. A 1.2-kilometer section of the Dakeng River contained two sewage discharge points, with ammonia nitrogen concentrations reaching 39.3 mg/L — classified as severe black-odor water. Xianzai Creek was covered with membrane-like floating matter.

Yangjiang’s urban sewage collection rate fell to 46.2% in 2025, down 4.9 percentage points from 2021. Two planned sewage treatment plants — the Chengnan Phase III and Zhongzhou Island Phase II projects — have not been built despite a 2025 deadline.

In Guangxi, Lingshan and Pubei counties in Qinzhou face severe direct sewage discharge issues. In Lingshan County, 20 of 33 discharge points along 7.8 kilometers of the Qinjiang River discharged sewage on sunny days, totaling approximately 7,000 tons per day. One rainwater culvert alone discharged about 3,000 tons of sewage daily. Inspectors found that three overflow points opposite the Lingshan sewage treatment plant had been deliberately covered with black netting while actively discharging.

Pubei County saw approximately 1,600 tons of sewage discharged daily into the Majiang River, forming a black pollution belt. The discharge water had a chemical oxygen demand of 111 mg/L — 4.6 times the Class III surface water standard — and ammonia nitrogen levels 13.3 times the standard.

Systemic Governance Concerns

The inspections reveal not only environmental degradation but also governance failures. Both Beihai and Qinzhou authorities reported planned mangrove restoration areas as completed — a form of data falsification that undermines environmental governance. The inspection reports criticized local governments for insufficient understanding of marine ecological protection importance, failure to fulfill protection responsibilities, and lack of daily supervision.

Broader Implications

These cases highlight the tension between economic development and environmental protection in China’s coastal regions. Aquaculture is a major industry in both Guangdong and Guangxi, but the widespread超标 (exceeded standard) discharges demonstrate significant regulatory enforcement gaps. The findings also raise questions about the effectiveness of China’s National Mangrove Protection and Restoration Action Plan (2020-2025), particularly when restoration projects report inflated completion figures while actual survival rates remain critically low.

What to Watch

The inspection teams have stated they will further investigate and verify the findings. Local governments in Huizhou, Yangjiang, Beihai, and Qinzhou will be required to develop rectification plans and report progress. The cases signal Beijing’s continued prioritization of environmental accountability, even in economically important coastal regions, and may lead to disciplinary actions against responsible officials as well as increased investment in wastewater treatment infrastructure.