China's Coastal Province Protecting Sand BeachesThe marine resources regulation authorities in south China's Guangdong Province have mounted a fight against the illegal exploitation of the local sand beaches.The coastal province has witnessed rapid marine economic growth in recent years. However, illegal sea area reclamation and tideland enclosures have already caused problems for the comprehensive development of marine resources. In order to step up law enforcement, the province has set up a marine police force, which is equipped with a fleet of over 100 jetboats to patrol the coast line. Guangdong now has four protected beach reserves covering some 131,700 hectares, which have been established for turtles, mangroves, and pearl oysters, and the province is planning to set up another 16 natural sea reserves in river delta areas to protect such rare animals as the white dolphin. |
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