Zhoushan pilots 6,576 ships in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 24.73 percent. [Photo/VCG]

Zhoushan, an island city in East China's Zhejiang province, piloted 6,576 ships in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 24.73 percent, according to the Zhoushan Shipping and Port Administration.

These ships and their cargo weighed a total of 400 million metric tons, a 28.06 percent increase year-on-year.

According to an analysis of current ship arrivals and departures in Zhoushan, the number of ships piloted in the city is expected to see stable growth over the following four months.

From January to July, the number of productive ships piloted in the city saw a 22.45 percent year-on-year increase to 3,076, including 1,042 oil product carriers.

In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of foreign ships were sent to shipyards for repairs, boosting the number of ships piloted in Zhoushan.

Statistics show that over the first seven months, Zhoushan piloted 3,111 ships to be repaired, up 26 percent year-on-year.

Pilotage is a crucial part of waterborne logistics. To ensure that ships can arrive and depart safely and efficiently in Zhoushan, local pilotage centers collect information about ships and share it with wharfs, pilots, and dispatchers as reference when formulating pilotage plans.