In a bid to limit fishing in offshore areas where stocks are declining, the ministry has decided to watch out for unregistered and unlicensed fishing vessels and boats carrying no official inspection certificates, according to Vice-Minister Liu Jian.

Reckless fishing by these vessels -- whose number has reached 118,100, accounting for 48.3 per cent of the country's total -- has posed a threat to the country's policy of sustainable marine fishery development, Liu said at a press conference in Beijing.

The country so far has 244,300 engine-powered fishing ships, with total power standing at 12.22 million kilowatts, latest statistics of the ministry's Fisheries Bureau indicate.

Strengthening fishing ship management has become the centrepiece of the ministry's efforts to stem excessive fishing activities, which depletes fishery resources, said the vice-minister.

Under the ministry's new arrangements, fishing vessels lacking government-authorized certificates should undergo a raft of procedures, including applying for fishing permits.

If these boats are proved seaworthy and have all the due certificates, they will be allowed to fish -- but only in a confined sea area, and in a resource-friendly fashion, according to Liu.

If ships are rented instead of directly owned by fishermen, the vessels should no be longer used for fishing purposes, according to a circular which Liu's ministry issued Tuesday.

"Any fishing ships that fail to pass the examination procedures will be eliminated from the fishing fleet, and are not allowed to conduct offshore fishing," Liu said.

October 31 is the deadline for illegal or unlicensed fishing vessels to apply for licenses or go through other procedures, according to Liu.

Output of China's fishery sector swam to 42 million tons last year, with 60 per cent contributed from aquatic breeding, according to Yang Jian, director of the Fisheries Bureau.

The country has a plan to raise the aquatic output to 46 million tons over the next five years, with the greater portion -- 65 per cent of the total amount -- coming from aquaculture rather than from offshore fishing, Yang said.

In addition to curbing overfishing, prosecuting illegal and unlicensed fishing ships will help to improve the safety record of the country's offshore fishing industry, according to Li Yanliang, another official with the ministry.

(China Daily 02/28/2001)