A severe decline in stocks has nearly paralyzed the fishing industry in east China, leaving many boats anchored at harbor during what should be the prime fishing season.
Dwindling stocks due to overfishing, pollution and lower sea water temperatures have brought about hard times for fishermen, who this year have reported the worst catch ever around the Bohai Sea.
In ports across Shandong Province, a major seafood production base in eastern China, boats are currently lying at anchor, in what should be a busy time. Production has been halted for the majority of bigger fishing vessels and about 70 to 80 percent of smaller vessels, according to the Shandong Marine Fishing and Production Management Station.
Li Xiaowei, a fisherman in Yantai, is among the few who have persisted, but admits that his trips have mostly ended in disappointment. “There are only a few mantis shrimp and some nets are empty,” Yu said.
Oceanologists say the low output is the result of excessive fishing and pollution. “China has seen a serious deterioration in offshore fishery resources, and the stocks of many kinds of fish are below harvestable levels,” said Zhang Yu, an official from Yantai’s ocean and fishery bureau.
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