Page 83 - Varsity Special Issue

80 / Photo Feature / 81

“The catch has declined rapidly
from 200-300 catties (100-150 kg) a
day to only 20 to 30 catties (10-15 kg)
in the past two years,” he says.
The current number of fish eggs is
only half of before, compared to the
data from 1982 to 1983, according to
a research released by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2018.
The seafood resources are less than
one tenth of the time.
The Bohai Bay is one of the four
traditional fisheries in China. Tens
of thousands of fishermen in Tianjin,
Hebei, Shandong, and Liaoning make
their living at the bay. But the shal-
low bay is overwhelmed by large-scale
ood l
Seaf
Seafood lovers buy fresh harvests from fishermen at a dock. commercial fishing.
y fresh harvests from fishermen at a dock.
vers bu
o
“
The catch has declined rapidly
from 200-300 catties (100-150 kg) a day

to only 20 to 30 catties (10-15 kg) in the past two years.

Fishermen in Beitang sell their daily catch at a dock.
F ishermen in Bei tang sell their dail y catch at a dock. ”

ishermen hope a four-month get back, diners flock to the dock to Liu’s family relies on fishing to
moratorium from May to Sep- buy lively seafood lifted from the make a living. Yet in recent years,
Ftember can help Bohai Bay revi- ocean. harvests have dropped drastically, be-
talize its vitality and bring them rich River crab, swimming crab, man- cause of the serious ocean pollution
fish harvests. tis shrimp and various shellfish are and overfishing. Sharp decline in fish
But desertification of ocean floor the most commonly seen and popular harvest affects all fishermen in Bohai
and the impact from COVID-19 seafood among customers in Bohai Bay.
shows no mercy to the fishermen. Bay market.
Liu Dongxiang, a fisherman with
over 30 years of experience in fishing
in Beitang is one of them.
Liu and his family keep casting
and collecting fishing nets overnight
every day, starting from September.
“The hunting usually starts from
mid-night or after dinner,” Liu says.
“We then have to sell our harvest
during day time. Our work never
stops,” he adds.
Throwing out fishing nets and
waiting under starlit night is a fisher-
ui takes rest after selling all her harvest.
Han G
ommo
Razor clam and catfish are c
man’s usual routine. By the time they Razor clam and catfish are commonly seen species in the seafood market at a dock. Han Gui takes rest after selling all her harvest.
ood market at a dock.
y seen species in the seaf
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