A four-and-a-half-month fishing off-season in waters near Pingtan Island, Fujian province, kicked off at 12:00pm on Wednesday, May 1, and will last until 12:00pm on Sept 16, said local fisheries authorities.

All fishing vessels in Pingtan have returned from sea and have docked at ports and wharfs prior to the off-season, according to the fisheries authorities. Marine monitoring will be enhanced during the period.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai