However, on a larger temporal scale the system of AGSD may not
be sustainable. As mentioned before, with the continuous coastal
area expansion and the succession of the ecosystems, more arable
land resources were formed in the coastal zone. If the grass land
resources were used only to provide grass to support salt making,
then a lot of arable land resources were wasted. Thus, it was no
longer a wise policy to prohibit land reclamation for agricultural
uses, at a later stage. Indeed, there were obvious contradictions
between salt production and reclamation. In the late 19th century,
with the growth of coastal population, the contradiction was
constantly intensified (see below). However, private reclamation
increased and the grass production was reduced accordingly. The
government did not seek a market solution to the problem, instead,
it even strengthened the Rules of Blocking Grass, which prohibited
grass trade between saltworks and the farmers in the surrounding
areas, in an attempt to maintain coastal salt industry production
and keep on obtaining salt tax, in an old manner. The government
insisted to prohibit reclamation and the development of other industries,
e.g., the handicraft industry of kiln.