Fishing will be banned in the South China Sea for two months starting Tuesday when the country's summer fishing ban becomes effective.

The number of fishing boats involving in the ban exceeds 3,200 this year, according a source with the provincial maritime affairs and fishery bureau of Hainan, an island province in south China on Monday.

The relevant regulations noted that fishing will be banned in the sea area to the north of 12 degrees north latitude.

People who violate the fishing ban will be fined up to 50,000 yuan (about US$6,050), with their catches and illegal earnings confiscated.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2004)