HAIKOU, August 19. /TASS/. More than 17,000 fishing vessels set off for fishing from Hainan ports as fishing season in the South China Sea resumes, reported the Hainan Daily newspaper.
From May to mid-August, an annual fishing ban in the East China and South China Seas was in effect. Fishermen were not allowed to fish and other marine life in the waters between the parallels 26.30 and 12 degrees north latitude. Similar measures also apply to the Yellow Sea and Bohai Bay. Seasonal restrictions there will last until early September.
In May, about 50,000 fishing vessels in southern China suspended their activities. At this time, the fishermen were engaged in the repair of gear and underwent advanced training. The Chinese Coast Guard vessels carried out regular checks to ensure compliance with the temporary ban and strictly suppressed illegal fishing.
Seasonal fishing ban in the South China Sea was first introduced in 1999, it is designed to protect the marine ecosystem and the area's biodiversity.
Hainan pays special attention to protecting the island's ecosystem. The province is building artificial reefs to increase fish populations, picking up plastic from the sea, and regularly equipping research deep-sea expeditions to collect data on the oceanic environment and biodiversity of the South China Sea.