Fishing will be banned over the next two months in the South China Sea as the country's annual summer fishing ban becomes effective at 12:00 a.m. Sunday.
According to a regulation by the Ministry of Agriculture, all fishing operations, except gill-netting and angling, will be banned in South China Sea waters to the north of 12 degrees north latitude beginning June 1.
During this summer fishing ban, a total of 3,278 fishing vessels including 602 trawl boats, 758 purse net boats, 1,499 boats with fixation nets and 409 others will be involved in Hainan Province.
Violators of the rule may be levied a maximum fine of 50,000 yuan (about US$6,024) apart from the seizure of all their catch and illegitimate earnings, official sources said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2003)
