A fleet of seven fishing vessels from Wenling, a county-level city in Taizhou, set sail for the Indian Ocean on Sept 6, marking the start of a new fishing season.

After more than two months of rest at the Ruoshan Fishing Port, the vessels underwent equipment inspections before leaving the port one after the other. It is estimated that they will reach the fishing grounds in just over 20 days, where they will engage in squid fishing and other operations for the next eight months.

Chen Junhui, deputy general manager of Zhejiang Xingbang Ocean Fishing Co Ltd, expressed his hopes for a fruitful season, stating that each boat is expected to produce over 1,800 metric tons of catch.

Including the seven boats that departed on Sept 6, a total of 15 fishing vessels from Wenling will sail for the Indian Ocean to carry out fishing operations.

The first batch of fish catch is expected to be delivered to the port by November, providing a fresh source of seafood for local residents. Wenling has a total of 33 ocean fishing vessels, which yielded 58,000 tons of fish last year. The Indian Ocean region alone accounted for nearly 40,000 tons, comprising more than two-thirds of Wenling's total catch.