China Issues Circular on Protecting Fishing IndustryThe Ministry of Agriculture has issued an urgent circular, urging local fishery offices to use legal means to overcome local protectionism and protect fishermen' s interest in the wake of a spate of fishing accidents.Since the beginning of this year, there have been four major fishing disasters, causing heavy losses to fishing farms. Pulp mills and chemical plants which discharge industrial waste water are the main causes. In February, tens of thousands of fish were found floating on the Baiyangdian Lake in Hebei Province. The loss was calculated to be at least 23.85 million yuan. In another separate case, fish, crabs, shrimps and shellfish died in a 149 km section of the Zhanghu River in east China's Fujian Province. The ministry said that their investigations were made difficult by obstacles from local governments. Plants that pollute the environment are usually major tax payers and local governments try hard to protect them. |
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