Many coastal regions in China have initiated a partial reopening of the fishing season following the entry into force of the annual summer fishing moratorium on May 1, with vessels setting sail for their first catch since the start of the moratorium.
The nationwide ban, implemented to protect marine ecology and fishery resources, covers the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and a portion of the South China Sea. It lasts from May 1 to Sept 16. The coastal region of east China's Jiangsu Province was among the areas included in this year's moratorium.
On Thursday morning, 441 fishing boats that met the requirements for the restricted reopening departed from the Lyusi Fishing Port in Qidong City of Jiangsu.
The authorized vessels primarily use gillnets, beam trawls, pots and traps, as well as light attraction nets, targeting catches such as swimming crabs, shrimp, and smaller quantities of small yellow croaker, silver pomfret and squid.
To ensure the safe and orderly departure of the fleet, the Jiangsu Maritime Authority deployed four patrol boats and seven drones to escort and monitor the vessels.
In Xiangshan County in Ningbo City of east China's Zhejiang Province, over 1,270 fishing boats that met the criteria were also allowed to set sail on Thursday for the East China Sea, marking the end of the 3-month hiatus for the Shipu Port.
The fishing boats will mostly operate in nearshore waters, and most of them can return to port in three to four days. Some smaller fishing boats can even go out to sea and come back on a same day, ensuring the supply of fresh seafood products to the market.
The primary catches are expected to include silver pomfret, yellow croaker, shrimp, crab, and mantis shrimp.
"All fishing boats starting operation on Thursday are out for crabs, large yellow croaker and hairtail. If we leave at noon, we can be back by around 18:00," said a fisherman.
The return of fishing activities has been eagerly anticipated by both the fishing community and local consumers, who can't wait to have a taste of fresh seafood after a break of three months.
"I really missed the swimming crabs, shrimp, and hairtail. I can finally have them again tonight!" said a resident in Ningbo City of Zhejiang.
Coastal regions in China resume restricted fishing season after three-month moratorium
Japanese peace activists held an event Sunday in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture of Japan, which focused on reflecting on the history of Japan's war of aggression against China and on peace education, calling on the Japanese public to confront past war crimes and prevent a repeat of tragedy.
The event marked the 20th anniversary of a peace memorial hall of a Japanese civic group -- the Association of Returnees from China. Participants at the event stressed that understanding history is an important prerequisite for preventing the repetition of a historical tragedy.
"The more I hear these experiences from friends of the association, the more I feel that we must truly understand Japan's responsibility as the perpetrator in past wars, and we must never do the same thing again. Moreover, there are now signs that seem to suggest a possible repeat of the past, which really frightens me. I believe this kind of thing must never happen again," a participant said.
"Attempts to remove Japan's history of aggression from textbooks are still ongoing. Successive Japanese governments ruled by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have pursued a policy of not teaching this history. Parties even more right-wing than the LDP have also emerged recently, and these forces are gaining ground. As they come to hold a majority in the Diet, the constitution is finally on the verge of revision. If that happens, they will use the constitution as a cover to implement conscription and expand military buildup -- in other words, Japan is trying to become a war-perpetrating country once again," another participant said.
Many participants voiced concern over the Japanese government's dangerous moves on historical issues.
"First of all, knowing the facts is very important. Now the Japanese government is doing everything it can to prevent people from learning history, so I think we should start by learning about it. For Japan, the textbook issue remains the most important. The September 18 Incident and the Lugou Bridge Incident were both triggered by pretexts fabricated by Japan, yet Japan claimed at the time that China had launched the attack. Pre-war education instilled these ideas. However, these incidents were planned by Japan. Post-war generations knew this, but pre-war Japanese did not. So I think it is entirely possible for such a situation to occur again today," a participant said.
Another participant said, "Understanding Japan's past history of aggression is very important -- an issue Japanese people must further understand. Japan must never forget what it once did to China. China never attacked Japan. I think these things are probably not taught in schools. And even when I was in school, they were barely covered. Now it seems they are not taught at all. Even the term 'Nanjing Massacre' was never properly taught. I feel Japan has never truly reflected on its past. So the responsibility for problems between Japan and China lies entirely with Japan."
The Japanese civic group "Association of Returnees from China" was founded decades ago by Japanese war criminals who were released back to Japan under lenient treatment by the Chinese government, with the aim of contributing to peace and Japan-China friendship.
In 2002, the association was dissolved due to the aging of its members. But the "Continuing the Miracle of Fushun Society" was later founded by the younger generation to carry on the unfinished cause of peace.
Japanese peace activists call for confronting wartime past to prevent another tragedy
