Summer is the golden season for agricultural production. However, for fishing, it is a period of moratorium.

Since 1995, a summer fishing ban has been in place in the Bohai Sea and the East China Sea, which plays a significant role in protecting fishery resources. The positive results made the Ministry of Agriculture in 1999 announced a fishing ban in the South China Sea too since then.

Today, the ban covers all the sea areas under Chinese jurisdiction, extended from two months to three and a half or even four and a half months. Every year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issues notices to clarify how long the ban is in different areas.

Millions of fishermen and over 100,000 fishing boats in coastal provinces follow the moratorium. Since the 1980s, excessive fishing put tremendous pressure on fishery resources though they are renewable. Therefore, from a long-term perspective, it is necessary to implement a summer fishing moratorium.

Some provinces offer fishermen subsidies during the off-season. For instance, Guangdong Province in south China subsidizes fishery production costs.

This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Beijing Youth Daily on September 5 

(Print Edition Title: A Necessary Lull)