A fleet of fishing vessels from Qidong heads out on Aug 1 after a three-month moratorium. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

The first group of 166 vessels set sail on Aug 1 from Lyusi fishing port in Qidong – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – after a three-month moratorium.

On Aug 2, transport ships that departed with the fishing vessels returned to port, carrying a rich haul that mainly included shrimps and crabs.

This year's first catch brought hustle and bustle back to the fishing port. The boxes of seafood were snapped up by waiting buyers and were transported to other areas across the country by special trucks.

Large amounts of fresh crabs are now available. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

In addition to meeting local demand, the seafood will also be sold to Shanghai city, as well as to Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in East China.

It is expected that the seafood will enter the peak supply period the following week. With the complete opening up of fishing in September, more varieties of fish will be on offer and seafood lovers can tuck into some great dishes.