SHIJIAZHUANG, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- North China's Hebei Province has made progress in improving the seawater quality in the offshore area of the Bohai Sea via a series of measures, local environmental authorities said.
The provincial department of ecology and environment said in the first three quarters of this year, measures, including reducing land-based pollutants, improving the water quality of rivers that drain into the sea and restoring the marine ecosystem in the Bohai Sea, have seen satisfying outcomes as the seawater quality in the offshore area met the highest standard.
A system has been set up to monitor the water quality of 49 rivers across the province that drain into the sea, and the data has been reported and evaluated monthly to make sure the measures were fully implemented, according to the department.
To accelerate the restoration of the sea ecosystem, the government has regulated mariculture in intertidal and offshore areas, removing 200 hectares of illegal mariculture area.
A total of 26,000 tonnes of garbage and large algae were cleaned up in Qinhuangdao, a coastal city in Hebei, along with the removal of over 1,400 illegal fishing boats and 36,500 square meters of unauthorized or temporary buildings on the beach.
