China's first pelagic fishery survey ship delivered

SHANGHAI -- China's first pelagic fishery survey ship was delivered to the Shanghai Ocean University Monday, the university announced Tuesday.

The ship, jointly invested by the Ministry of Agriculture and Shanghai municipal government, has a gross tonnage of 3,166 tonnes, it said.

Eighty-five meters long and 14.96 meters wide, the ship has a sea endurance of 10,000 nautical miles and can accommodate 59 crew members.

With five labs on aboard, the ship, named "Songhang" will survey both fishery resources and the oceanic environment, the university said.

The ship will survey fishery resources in open sea areas in the northern and southeastern Pacific and southwestern Atlantic, helping the country search for new fishery grounds, it said.

Currently, China's pelagic fishery catch only accounts for 1.3 percent of the world total.