A fleet of fishing boats head to the fishing grounds on Sept 20 in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

To the sound of a whistle from the lead fisheries administration vessel at 8 am on Sept 20, thousands of fishing boats set sail from Putuo district, Zhoushan, heading to the fishing grounds.

This marks the end of the four-and-a-half-month summer fishing ban in the East China Sea.

Over 800 fishing boats, primarily engaged in trawling and sail netting, have resumed operations. Including the nearly 2,700 specialized licensed fishing boats and auxiliary vessels, which began operations on Aug 1, Zhoushan now has a total of 4,530 fishing boats back in production.

Due to the impacts of Typhoon Bebinca and Typhoon Pulasan, the 13th and 14th typhoons of the year, all fishing operations were halted until the sea wave warnings were lifted. Full-scale fishing was postponed from Sept 16 to Sept 20.

However, seasoned fishermen noted that typhoons often stir up the nutrients in the seawater, potentially leading to larger catches.

With the fishing ban lifted, a bounty of fresh seafood, including yellow croaker, pomfret, and hairtail, will begin arriving at ports in the coming days, bringing additional delicacies to the dining tables of local residents.