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China steps up island protection

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-06 19:57

XIAMEN: China was stepping up protection and sustainable development of its islands and oceanic resources, said Zhang Hongsheng, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Friday.

Measures had been taken to protect China's islands with new laws and natural reserves, Zhang told the opening of the 2009 Xiamen World Ocean Week, which runs till Thursday.

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The country's top legislature last month reviewed the draft law of island protection, which would help establish standard systems in developing, protecting and restoring the ecology and resources of islands, Zhang said.

In addition, the authorities had set up more than 20 national level and 40 local level ocean reserves since 1963, said Lu Caixia, director of the SOA's island management office.

The administration had imposed stringent controls over the exploitation of islands to prevent human activities from ruining delicate island ecologies, Lu said.

The development and protection of each island must undergo scientific examination to fit its specific conditions, Lu said.

More than 6,500 islands larger than 500 square meters scatter over China's 3 million square kilometers of territorial maritime waters, including 433 uninhabited islands.

Islands had great strategic significance as they were bases for exploiting rich tourism, fishery, energy and mineral resources of the oceans, Zhang said.

They were playing an increasingly important role in China's ocean-based social and economic development, he said.