The Gangkou District People's Court in Fangchenggang holds a public adjudication to hear a case of illegal fishing on July 22. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Zero tolerance
Guangxi borders Vietnam and boasts some of China's best air and water quality.
It ranks among the nation's top three provincial-level regions for biodiversity and forest coverage and is home to extensive mangrove forests that form a critical part of the Beibu Gulf ecological barrier. These mangroves not only support marine life but also protect coastlines from storms and absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide.
Across the region, the law has served as a powerful tool for environmental protection.
From 2023 to 2025, Guangxi courts handled over 30,000 first-instance environmental and resource cases and concluded more than 28,200 of them. Among those concluded were 7,601 criminal cases covering offenses such as environmental pollution and ecological destruction. At the same time, key areas including the Lijiang River Basin and mangrove wetlands were protected along with a variety of bird species.
Between 2020 and 2024, the region's courts concluded 13 criminal cases involving mangrove destruction, sending a strong deterrent to would-be offenders.
Deng Hong, vice-president of the Fangchenggang Intermediate People's Court, likened mangroves to a "cradle" and "sanctuary" for marine life including fish, crabs, and shrimp. "These green intertidal zones are home to countless marine species, playing an irreplaceable role in wind and wave protection, coastline stabilization, and carbon sequestration," she said.
Fangchenggang has more than 2,016 hectares of mangroves, accounting for 21.4 percent of Guangxi's total.
In recent years, courts across the city have severely punished offenders who damage or threaten the mangrove wetland ecosystem. For example, from January 2025 to June 2026 Gangkou district court concluded 303 environmental and resource cases spanning civil, criminal, administrative, and public interest litigation, cracking down on illegal sea occupation, mangrove destruction, illegal fishing and other violations. These cases demonstrate the judiciary's approach to safeguarding the marine environment from multiple angles.
"While illegal fishing appears to harm fish stocks, it actually damages the entire marine environment and the habitat for mangroves — it destroys a complete ecosystem," Deng added.
