The first fleet of more than 100 fishing boats that sailed out for the spring flood had returned by March 1 to Lyusi fishing port in Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province.

The fishermen had been asked not to go fishing at sea before Feb 9 due to the coronavirus outbreak, and they were delayed again because of the cold weather. To ensure security, officials from the fishing administration checked the fishing boats one by one.

Luckily, the first fleet of fishing boats in this spring flood was not greatly impacted and managed a good catch. The total output of this flood was about 5,000 metric tons, worth 20 million yuan ($2.88 million).

The output of most fishing boats was about 50 tons each, with the highest for a single boat exceeding 300,000 yuan.

Commercial fish, such as anglerfish and pomfret, were caught in large numbers, and the fresh fish and shrimps were quickly transported to local markets.

The fishermen are expected to sail again soon, after resting and preparing supplies of water and ice. "Everything is ready and we are waiting for a suitable tide," said a local fisherman.

Fishermen unload fish and shrimps they caught during the early spring flood at Lyusi fishing port in Qidong. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]