Hundreds fish for American red snapper in port

Hundreds of local residents of Qingdao, in East China's Shandong province, recently rushed to the city's port to fish for about 10,000 American red snappers that about 20 people dumped there, China National Radio reported on Monday.

According to the report, the 20 people, who claimed they are from Northeast China's Jilin province, bought about 10,000 American red snappers from a fish plant near the Jimiya port for 500,000 yuan ($78,000).

Freeing captured animals is a Buddhist practice and is a tradition for many Chinese. The purpose of setting animals free is saving lives. By freeing animals and preventing them from being killed, that person's life could be extended, his illnesses could be cured, and his descendants will be blessed.

After the snappers were freed, hundreds of local residents who heard the news rushed to the port to fish. The biggest snapper caught by a resident weighs about 1.5 kilograms, report said.

One of the residents told the news agency that many people set free fish at Jimiya port every year because the port is wide and surrounded by many fishponds. But it was the first time that so many people set free such a large number of fish.

According to a technician at a local fishery bureau, the American red snapper are from the Atlantic Ocean. There are no wild red snappers in local seas. Setting free so many red snappers will not cause ecological problem because Jimiya port is open, the report said.