Quanzhou Enhances Maritime Safety with New Fishing Vessel Routes

Fishing boats were seen traversing the Quanzhou Bay Cross-Sea Bridge in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, on August 16, 2024, en route to the open sea.

The Quanzhou municipal government announced the establishment of designated recommended routes and safety zones for fishing vessels. This initiative, a first for Fujian Province, includes safety warning zones at areas where commercial and fishing vessels frequently intersect. Local authorities anticipate that these measures will improve safety controls in areas with mixed traffic, systematically mitigating risks associated with the interaction of different vessel types.

The Quanzhou Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) officially unveiled details of the recommended navigation routes and safety zones for fishing vessels at Xiangzhi Fishing Port in Shishi, Quanzhou Bay. The primary goal of these measures is to enhance maritime navigation safety. A comprehensive assessment of maritime conditions at Xiangzhi fishing port, one of China's major fishing ports, revealed significant risks. The port is home to over 600 registered fishing vessels, with an annual port throughput exceeding 37,000 trips.

The absence of dedicated navigation routes previously, combined with the port's proximity to the Quanzhou Bay anchorage area and major commercial shipping lanes, heightened risks due to heavy vessel traffic and complex maritime conditions. To address these challenges, the Quanzhou MSA collaborated with local authorities, utilizing big data technology to establish separate navigation routes for commercial and fishing vessels.

The technical project involved a detailed analysis of fishing vessel traffic patterns. The team used big data from the Fujian MSA to define 10 lines to support the navigation route division. The initiative includes clearly marked recommended fishing routes and innovative safety zones at high-traffic intersections, designed to alert vessels and prevent collisions.

The maritime, fisheries, and port authorities are working together to strengthen crew training and awareness programs, reinforce controls, and guide orderly vessel movement along designated routes. The plan received expert approval on May 27 and the recommended routes and safety warning zones officially began operation on Tuesday. The recommended routes at Xiangzhi Fishing Port consist of northern and southern channels, each 200 meters wide.