China's newly revised Marine Environmental Protection Law will go into effect from April 1 this year, a environmental protection official said Friday.

Amendments to the law were passed by China's top legislature last December designed to better protect marine environment and promote exploration of the marine resources.

Wang Yuqing, deputy director of State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), told reporters today that the Law will be more effective in protecting the marine environment as it provides a new legal basis for implementing relevant laws.

China's marine environment has been facing serious challenges along polluted coastal areas. The marine eco-system has been seriously damaged, the deputy director said.

The new law stipulates that government departments take necessary measures to protect marine life. A new clause in the Law stipulates protection of marine ecology, which will protect endangered marine species.

China has 18,000 km of coastline with more than three million sq km of sea areas under its jurisdiction.

Serious pollution in recent years has led to many problems in the marine environment. There were some 193 instances of red tides in China's coastal areas from 1990-1998, costing the nation millions of US dollars in economic losses annually. (Xinhua)