Based on the empirical data of China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share market, this paper examined the impact of regional anti-corruption intensity on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure. The results indicate that (1) regional anti-corruption intensity has a significant positive effect on firms’ CSR disclosure; (2) through the grouping test based on the ownership of firms, it was found that the positive effect of anti-corruption intensity on CSR disclosure in the sample of non-state-owned enterprises was more significant and positive than that of state-owned enterprises (SOEs); and (3) through the grouping test of whether or not the enterprises had political connections, the positive effect of regional anti-corruption intensity on CSR disclosure was stronger and more significant in firms with political connections (relative to those with no or weak political connections). This paper sheds light on the research into anti-corruption policies by linking government macro policy and enterprises’ micro social economic behaviors, and it provides empirical evidence for this linkage. This paper also contributes to organizational legitimacy theory and CSR theory by probing the impact of anti-corruption policies on firms’ CSR disclosure. At the same time, the effects of two contingency factors (ownership and political connection) also provide some practical implications to the relevant government departments by: (1) speeding up the market-oriented reform of state-owned enterprises including clarifying the boundaries of authority and responsibility between SOEs and the government, and conducting the de-administration of managers of SOEs; and (2) encouraging firms to focus on market competition and be more socially responsible, instead of speculating with political rents.

The sustainable development of the aquaculture industry is of great significance for national food security within the context of increasing consumer demand, scarce land resources, and continuous ecological and environmental deterioration. China is a major shrimp farming country. It is crucial to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in the characteristics of shrimp aquaculture for the stability and sustainable development of China’s shrimp aquaculture industry, as well as to explore an optimization strategy for the spatial layout of this industry. Existing research mainly focuses on the fluctuations in shrimp production and their influencing factors, while studies on the spatiotemporal variations of shrimp aquaculture and their influencing mechanisms are few. In this study, we analyzed the patterns of spatiotemporal variation in shrimp aquaculture in China and further explored their influencing factors using standard deviational ellipse and Geodetector, based on China’s shrimp aquaculture production data from 2003 to 2020. The results show that (1) there has been a steady upward trend in shrimp aquaculture production in China over the past 18 years, with a growth rate of 128% and an average annual growth rate of 5.2%; (2) the spatial distribution range of shrimp farms has expanded, showing a zonal distribution pattern from the northeast to southwest, and the center of the shrimp aquaculture industry has generally shifted southward; and (3) the level of development within the fishing industry, labor quantity, and per capita income are the main factors affecting the spatial distribution variability of shrimp aquaculture. The degree of influence of each different factor on spatial distribution of shrimp aquaculture varied temporally.

Factors and motivations that drive individuals’ decisions on seafood consumption vary by population group and geographical locations. These factors may differ from one particular species to the other. The purpose of this study is to understand fish/shrimp consumption frequency and consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) more for shrimp locally farmed in Togo. We used a Poisson model to investigate the socioeconomic factors determining fish/shrimp consumption frequency, and a Heckman Selection model to analyze the extent to which consumers are willing to pay extra for locally produced shrimp. To this end, data on fish consumption were collected through a cross-sectional study that analyzed a quantitative survey of consumers (N = 308). Our results show that the populations sampled attach great importance to the quality of fish they consume. The econometric results indicate that the quality of the fish is positively related to fish consumption frequency while the monthly income and proximity of the sea show negative relationships with the outcome variable. In addition, the factors that influence the WTP for shrimp were consuming shrimp and the amount for expenditure on fish/shrimp consumption. Moreover, consumers are willing to pay, on average, 1.2 U.S Dollars (USD) as an extra amount relative to the average price per kilogram, and the extent of their WTP is positively related to the quality of the fish. However, the age of the respondents shows a negative relationship with the value they are willing to pay. In order to fulfill consumers’ needs and preferences, these findings jointly suggest that exceptional steps by the government are needed to value fish/shrimp in a way that persuades and encourages consumers to consume seafood at any age. More importantly, promoting the consumption of fish and shrimp requires action to help improve their quality. Government should: (a) be communicating and raising awareness more among the population on the nutritional value and health benefits of fish/shrimp consumption; (b) support fish/shrimp production through cost reduction actions for the fishermen who in turn can supply fish/shrimp at reasonable prices that encourage fish and shrimp consumption; (c) take appropriate measures to develop a logistics system as an effort to support fish, especially shrimp, supply in a timely way that might help to keep their good appearance and freshness for the consumers’ benefit.

The rapid development of shrimp aquaculture has resulted in numerous ecological problems, thereby necessitating the assessment of its sustainable ecological development. This study employed the ecological footprint method to conduct a quantitative analysis of the environmental ramifications of two culture modes (pond and factory) of Penaeus vannamei. The analysis includes a horizontal comparison between two different modes and a vertical comparison among different aquaculture links of the same mode, with the objective of identifying the weak link in the aquaculture process. The results show that the ecological footprint per unit of profit of the factory culture mode was lower than that of the pond mode, while the ecological footprint per unit of output was higher in the former. Water resource consumption was identified as the primary component of the ecological footprint in both modes, accounting for over 70% of the total, followed by feed consumption. The higher energy consumption in the factory culture mode is ascribed to the operation of mass-production facilities. The feed conversion ratio in shrimp aquaculture requires improvement, as evidenced by a ratio of 1.05 in the pond mode and a higher ratio of 1.82 in the factory culture mode, indicating suboptimal feed utilization efficiency. In light of these conclusions, various measures and suggestions are put forth, including improving shrimp feed composition, implementing energy-saving measures, weighing production planning across different culture modes, and optimizing water resource utilization.