Thousands of boats set off from wharves in Shandong province on Sept 1 to catch seafood as a four-month fishing ban ended.

China's summer fishing moratorium this year started on May 1 in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea and waters north of 12 degrees north latitude in the South China Sea.

The summer fishing ban is part of China's effort to promote sustainable marine fishery development and improve the marine ecology.