NANNING - Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is bracing for an annual fishing ban to go into effect Tuesday, said local authorities.

The region has made a list of all banned fishing ships, increased ocean patrols, and stepped up supervision in boat parking areas, said the local fishery department.

China has enforced an annual fishing ban to protect the ocean's ecosystem and biodiversity from excessive fishing since 1995.

During the ban, only fishing for scientific studies, taming and breeding purposes will be approved.

While the ocean fishing ban usually starts May 1, the river fishing ban usually begins March 1. The local government can extend the fishing ban according to need.

China has added an additional month to its ocean fishing ban since 2017, and started imposing a new fishing ban in the Yellow River, the country's second-longest river, earlier this year.