Fishermen in south China's tropical island province of Hainan set sail for fishing in the South China Sea on Sunday, following the conclusion of the annual three-and-a-half-month summer fishing moratorium.
The annual seasonal ban, which ran from May 1 to August 16, is intended to protect fishery stocks by restricting commercial fishing across designated waters.
In Sansha City, fishing vessels from various islands and reefs set out for fishing operations in the South China Sea, with 18 newly-added fishery support vessels, which will work alongside the fishing fleet to extend operating time at sea, reduce costs, and improve overall fishing efficiency.
The waters around Sansha are rich in grouper, tuna and other fish species. The fishing vessels will operate within 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) of Beidao Island -- a small coral island located in the Qilianyu archipelago of Sansha City, with the first batch expected to return after about 15 days at sea. Once landed, fresh catches from the South China Sea will be transported through a cold-chain distribution network to markets across the country.
"In the new fishing season, my biggest wish is for calm seas and safe voyages, and for our boats to return with good catches every time," said Huang Yaojian, a fisherman from the Lingyang Reef.
"All vessel inspections have been completed, our fishing gear is ready, and all safety checks have been carried out thoroughly," said Luo Xiaoqin, a crew member of Sansha Xisha Fishery Fishing Co., Ltd.
Fishing operations officially commenced at noon in Danzhou, another city in Hainan, with a cerenomy at the Baimajing Central Fishing Port.
"We hope for a good catch. We are prepared for this voyage," said Fu Yingzhao, a fisherman.
Meanwhile, at the Tanmen Central Fishing Port in Qionghai City, multiple large and medium-sized fishing vessels managed to depart in an orderly fashion. A total of 1,081 fishing vessels from Qionghai set sail this year.
"Next, we will keep monitoring the weather changes at sea and vessel movements, strengthen supervision over fishing vessels at sea, and ensure their safety," said Li Yuezhou, an official from the Qionghai Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Fishermen in south China's Hainan set sail after summer moratorium ends
A group of Japanese protesters rallied outside the National Diet building in Tokyo on Monday, demonstrating against Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her government's policies, including its push for military expansion, adjustments to security policies and efforts to amend the pacifist Constitution.
An extraordinary session of the Diet began on Monday to address key issues, including deliberations on bills to cut the consumption tax, and to reduce the number of seats in the House of Representatives, both likely to be major points of contention between the ruling and opposition camps.
The extraordinary session is expected to run for 69 days through Dec 12.
"The real danger lies not in the trivial bills currently under deliberation in the National Diet, but in what lies behind them, which is that the cabinet (led by Takaichi) is seeking to revise security related laws to expand military capabilities. We must not allow Japan to commit aggression against Asia again," said a protester.
"I believe the Japanese public does not want the government to purchase so many weapons, such as the continuous deployment of missiles in Kyushu and Okinawa. There is simply no such demand among the Japanese people. So, I expect the government to halt this action that prioritizes military buildup," said another protester.
"All I feel now is fear. I long for peace and hope that Japan can remain peaceful," said a protester.
Some protesters said Takaichi is actively pushing for war and they expect her to step down.
"I expect the Takaichi administration to step down as soon as possible. I hope this extraordinary Diet session will mark the end of her time in office. The administration plans to revise the three key security documents by the end of this year and I learned that this could be achieved solely via a cabinet decision, completely bypassing deliberations in the National Diet," said a protester.
"Actually, I'm from Nara. As someone from Nara, I’m really ashamed that Takaichi became the prime minister, because she gives me the impression that she is actively pushing for war. So, for the sake of the lives of Japanese people and people across the world, I expect her to step down right now," said a protester from Nara prefecture, which is also the home of the prime minister.
Protesters rally against Takaichi administration's push for military expansion
