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Fishing boats set off for fishing in Rizhao, East China's Shandong province, Sept 1, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

JINAN - Dwindling numbers of fish are threatening the survival of the once booming fishing industry in east China's Bohai Gulf.

Fishermen in east China's Shandong Province are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a living and face bleak prospects.

Sailing out from north China's biggest fishing port, Zhang Shengli, 46, does not hold high hopes.

"Five years ago, we could catch a boat full of fish after spending four days at sea, but now it takes ten days, and the fish we catch are not worth much," said Zhang, a fisherman from the province.

Yellow croaker, long-tailed anchovy and mackerel used to be abundant in the Bohai Sea. Yet Zhang, who has been fishing for 13 years, hardly sees these types of fish now. His major catch is flatfish.

In Yantai, a coastal city in Shandong, fisherman Li Xiaowei stretched out a 60-meter-long net, only to catch a couple of shrimps.

Although China began imposing a fishing moratorium during the summer 19 years ago, it has failed to reverse the depletion of marine resources. Fishermen in the Bohai Sea mothball their boats a month ahead of the moratorium, which lasts from June to August, due to a shortage of fish.@ ? Overfishing is blamed for the depletion. Environmental pollution, coastal line changes and a lack of fish bait in the sea have also worsened the problem.

To make matters worse, fish prices have plunged from a year ago as demand for exports remain subdued. Aquatic products are instead sold on the domestic market at a lower price. Flatfish sold on the pier is one third cheaper than a year ago, while the price of cod is nearly 60 percent down from its highest two years ago.

Rising labor costs and diesel prices also make it hard for businesses to break even. Zhang employs 17 people on his boat and has to pay at least 6,000 yuan (980 U.S. dollars) in wages to each worker every month. With an additional 10,000 yuan for fuel, Zhang said his fishing business is hardly profitable.

"A few years ago many people wanted to be a ship owner, but now with little fish to catch and a low selling price, few want to stay in the business," Zhang said.