The Beibu Gulf, one of China's key areas of mangrove forests, witnesses a year-on-year loss of more than 0.7% of its size, according to a reporter from the Economic Reference.

The Beibu Gulf in southwest China's Guangxi once was one of China's cleanest waters with a healthy natural ecosystem.

With accelerated development in the southwestern coastal region and cities around the Beibu Gulf, the Beibu Gulf has undergone a continuous loss of mangrove forests, which puts a dramatic increase in pressure on the protection of marine ecology in the Beibu Gulf. 

A report on the environment quality in the offshore area around Guangxi indicates that this area has experienced a great degree of pollution mainly including mineral nitrogen and reactive phosphate and oil. 

Expert analysis regards that the offshore pollution is caused by the human activities on land near the offshore area. The pollution from livestock waste, household sewage, industrial waste and land reclamation brings damage to the ecosystem in the offshore area near the Beibu Gulf and invigorates insect outbreaks as well as reductions in fish stock. 

The degradation of the coastal environment in Guangxi has basically contained the degenerative trends since the time a regulation regarding the protection of marine environment in Guangxi was enacted in February 2008, said an official.

However, due to relaxed enforcement, Guangxi continues to suffer from increasing environmental damages in recent years.