Sanya kicks off new fishing season

The 2020 China (South China Sea) Sanya Fishing Festival kicks off at Sanya Yazhou Fishing Port on Aug 16. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

The 2020 China (South China Sea) Sanya Fishing Festival kicked off at Sanya Yazhou Fishing Port on Aug 16, marking the beginning of the 2020 mariculture and fishing season after a three-month fishing ban.

At noon, the first boat-whistle blew, and more than 300 fishing boats set off, creating an impressive sight.

Volunteers from the Blue Ribbon Ocean Conservation Association organized fishermen, officials, guests and audiences to take an oath, advocating marine conservation, scientific and reasonable fishing, as well as encouraging the public to actively participate in aquatic wildlife protection and reduce coastal and marine garbage.

A pioneer in the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), Sanya has always been closely connected with the sea. Sanya's advantages in geography, resources, ecology and policy have continuously enhanced its marine economy, and the construction of Hainan FTP offers an important opportunity for the city's development, according to an official from the Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration.

Yazhou features a distinctive marine culture, and the fishing industry derived from it is a treasure. The Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Pilot Free Trade Port highlighted a combination of marine tourism and leisure fisheries, which invests the fishing festival with new, contemporary connotations, according to an official from the CPC Yazhou District Committee.

Therefore, this year's fishing festival serves as a good platform to promote local folk culture, laying a steady foundation for developing Sanya into a world-class tropical coastal tourist city and accelerating the development of Hainan FTP, the official added.