Fishing vessels stream out of Shitang Fishing Port in Taizhou, bound for the East China Sea as the four-and-a-half-month summer fishing moratorium lifts on Sept 16. [Photo/Tide News]

Taizhou in Zhejiang province lifted its four-and-a-half-month summer fishing moratorium on Sept 16, with 702 fishing boats setting sail for fishing grounds in the East China Sea. Unlike previous partial resumptions, all categories of fishing vessels may resume operations, meaning that a wider range of seafood from the East China Sea will gradually hit the market.

In Shitang Fishing Port in Wenling, 300 fishing boats were among the first to set sail, as fishermen began a new round of fishing operations. The vessels' departure brought a sharp rebound in offshore fishing activity, with busy cargo operations at fishing ports and a broad recovery in the local fishing industry.

To ensure an orderly resumption, Taizhou's fishery authorities are using intelligent platforms to strengthen real-time monitoring of fishing vessels, while conducting offshore patrols, weather monitoring, and safety inspections to support safe fishing operations and maintain orderly marine fishing activities.