Abstract: Illegal fishing is one of the sources of marine ecological damage. The implementation of compensation of ecological and environmental damage in this field is poorly understood. In this study, we examined data pertaining to coastal illegal fishing cases during 2018-2022 using the big data publicly made available by China Judgement Online. The main results included: 1) there are numerous types of illegal fishing, and more efforts should focus on the nature and extent of illegal fishing, with electrofishing and trawl being suitable entry points; 2) Special attention should be paid to the variation characteristics of rakes in the range of high illegal catch weight and value. It was suggested to optimize and adjust its management mode to avoid the frequent occurrence of such illegal fishing cases of rake; 3) The varieties of assessment models increased the uncertainty of damages computation, which might be reduced by establishing strong criteria for value quantification and damage assessment; 4) There is limited scientific support for the compensation for releasing the most popular ecological restoration technique for illegal fishing. As a result, the “compensation” design for “restoration” should be implemented, while the potential for additional restoration methods should be investigated.

Key words: ecological environment, compensation for damage, coastal illegal fishing, fishery management, ecological restoration