Thousands of fishing boats set sail from eastern Chinese provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian as the summer fishing ban partially ended in the East China Sea at noon on Tuesday.
Fishermen sorted gears, loaded supplies and checked machinery before the vessels departed for the sea.
"We are setting off today. It will take us at least six to seven hours to get to the fishing area. Hopefully, we'll return with full catches," said Chen Qijian, a fisherman at the Wenling Central Fishing Port in Zhejiang.
"We have repaired the boat over the past few months. We have prepared enough ice and fuel over the past two days. Now, we are ready to leave the port. This trip will take one to two months. We hope that we will return with good harvest," said Zhuang Xiaoquan, a fisherman in Fujian.
The vessels approved for this fishing season will primarily be engaged in fishing for shrimp, crabs, and pelagic fish species, according to the Fujian Provincial Oceanic and Fishery Department.
China's annual summer fishing ban starts on May 1, and end from Aug 5 to Sept 16 in different batches.
Over 100,000 fishing vessels will set sail during the period for the new fishing season in the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the waters north of 12 degrees north latitude in the South China Sea.
Fishing season starts in East China Sea
