Chinese boats return to South China Sea as fishing ban ends

Chinese fishing boats gathered at Sanya, Hainan on Jul. 31, the day before the fishing ban expires. (Photo/Xinhua)

More than 10,000 Chinese fishing boats will be heading out once more to the waters of the Paracels, Spratlys and Macclesfield Bank in the South China Sea after a moratorium on fishing is declared over on Aug.1, reports the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily.
Most of the boats will be from Weihai and Qingdao in Shandong province, Zhoushan in Zejiang province, Sanya in Hainan province and Fangcheng in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
About a dozen will be heading straight to Scarborough Shoal, the site of a standoff between China and the Philippines immediately before the fishing ban was put in place. Su Chengfen, a fisherman from the town of Tanmen in Hainan province told reporters that the disputed shoal is considered a paradise for fishing. To protect Chinese fishermen from being harassed by Philippine authorities, Su suggested the PLA Navy send military vessels to the disputed area.


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