The Zhoushan National Pelagic Fishery Base in Dinghai district, Zhoushan city, Zhejiang province. [Photo/ zhoushan.cn]

Zhoushan authorities issued an interim policy on Aug 29 to strengthen the regulation of the city's pelagic fishery and promote its sound development, local media reported. 

It is the first regional policy on pelagic fishery regulation that has been released in coastal provinces in China.

Specific rules are set out in the policy as regards the qualifications and responsibilities of pelagic fishery companies, as well as the regulation and emergency-response mechanisms of relative authorities, so to standardize these companies' operations and prevent accidents related to the pelagic fishery. 

The policy comes after a rapid increase of pelagic fishery companies settling in Zhoushan, as the city has been speeding up constructing its national pelagic fishery base in recent years, which puts higher requirements on the regulation of its pelagic fishery industry.

The number of pelagic fishery companies in Zhoushan reached 35 in the first half of the year, with pelagic fishing vessels amounting to 544, statistics show.

It is also expected that Zhoushan will hit the target next year in advance, of gathering 600 such vessels by 2020.