December 28, 2012

China's fisheries production will reach US$273.89 billion in 2012, a 15% rise from 2011.

Fishermen will harvest 59.06 million tonnes this year, up 5.4% on-year, said Zhao Xingwu, head of the Bureau of Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Aquaculture will yield 43.05 million tonnes this year, up 7% on year and domestic fishing will provide 14.83 million tonnes, almost the same as 2011. Finally, distant fishing will bring in 1.18 million tonnes, up 2.8% on year, Zhao said.

This year, fishermen have received compensations for a number of oil spills that occurred in north China's Bohai Bay from June 2011. This is a historic breakthrough to explore the compensation mechanism on fisheries resources, Niu said.

Oil spills in the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in Bohai Bay have polluted over 6,200 square kilometers of water since June 2011. They have hit the aquatic farming industries of Liaoning and Hebei provinces.