HAIKOU /China/, February 26. /TASS/. Seven of the 19 territorial units in South China's Hainan province will join the government program to develop professional services for recreational fishing. This was reported by the Hainan International Communication Network (HICN).

According to its reports, Haikou (the region's administrative center), the resort city of Sanya, as well as the Língshuǐ Li and Ledong Li autonomous counties located to the east and west of the city, will join the project. The authorities of another three cities - Qionghai and Wanning (east) with their sheltered bays well and Wenchang (northeast of the island), known for its spaceport and beautiful sea views, will actively develop this type of recreation, which has become increasingly popular in China in recent years.

The Hainan Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has stated that the government plans to create special tourist facilities on the coast for recreational fishing enthusiasts, which will function in a pilot mode in the first phase. For this purpose the financial department of the province will soon allocate 50 million yuan (about $7.9 million at current exchange rate) from the budget. Besides, authorities will actively involve state and private investors into this program as well as fishing cooperatives.

According to Chinese experts, the island has the best places in China for recreational fishing at sea. They believe that the measures taken by the provincial administration to develop the free trade port contribute to improving the conditions for successful business in this area. "Hainan has turned out to be the focus of passionate fans of sea fishing," emphasized Yu Xuewei, an expert in the field.

He added that there are about 130 locations along the island's perimeter and more than a thousand sites that are ideal for recreational fishing. "Some of them - Qizhou Archipelago (territorially belonging to Wenchang) and Dazhoudao Island (off the coast of Wanning) - were ranked third in the world ranking of the best places for sea fishing by the International Fishing Association," said the expert.

According to official statistics, Hainan's recreational fishing industry grossed 1.36 billion yuan (more than $215 million) in 2021. More than 5 million tourists used the services of this sector in 12 months.