Ningbo Maritime Authorities Fully Respond to the Peak of Waterway Travel During the National Day Holiday

During this year's National Day holiday, Ningbo water passenger transport plans to operate 20 passenger ferry routes with 47 passenger ferries, and it is estimated that waterway passenger traffic will reach 221,000, an increase of 10.5% year-on-year. Currently, it is the peak season for seafood fishing, with more than 7,000 fishing boats operating daily along the coast, increasing the risk of collisions between commercial and fishing vessels. Facing the complex navigation environment of "interwoven passenger and cargo traffic," Ningbo maritime authorities are making every effort to ensure water safety during the holiday.

To reduce encounters between commercial and fishing vessels at the source, Ningbo maritime authorities adhere to the principle of "smoothing traffic flow and reducing encounters," and have outlined clear "roadmaps" for ships. At key fishing ports such as Shipu Port and Xiangshan Port, recommended routes and warning zones have been designated; on key passenger ferry routes such as Shipu-Hepu, pedestrian crossing-like "zebra lines" have been set up for passenger ferries. By guiding fishing boats along recommended routes in and out of ports, ensuring commercial and fishing vessels navigate cautiously in warning zones with dual-person monitoring, and keeping fishing boats away from anchoring operations near passenger ferry "zebra lines," the relative separation of commercial and fishing vessels has been achieved. "We use passenger ferry lanes, and fishing boats use fishing lanes; everyone maintains a safe distance, making sailing more reassuring!" a passenger ferry captain stated.

Before the National Day holiday, maritime law enforcement officers visited fishing villages, passenger transport companies, and crew training institutions to deliver educational sessions on-site. They not only used real collision accident cases to warn crew members but also introduced intelligent maritime robot simulations for hands-on teaching. Safety warning information was disseminated through platforms such as WeChat and SMS, covering over 450 companies and more than 2,000 captains, with over 30,000 views. Moreover, passenger ferry captains and fishing boat owners participated in "face-to-face" and "mutual boarding and learning" activities, instilling the concept of safety deeply into their minds.

During the National Day holiday, Ningbo maritime authorities will strengthen real-time coordination via "land, sea, and air." Onshore, they will work with local governments and marine economic departments to establish a three-tiered city, county, and town joint station mechanism, with the VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) implementing dual-person, round-the-clock monitoring. At sea, main patrol vessels such as "Haixun 22" will conduct patrol law enforcement, strictly inspecting behaviors such as failure to perform proper lookout duties. In the air, drones will be deployed at key areas like fishing boat entrance and exit points, high-risk collision zones between commercial and fishing vessels, and nighttime cruise routes, using the smart maritime system for continuous video surveillance. Special comprehensive support services will be provided for passenger ferries on Sanjiang night cruises, Yaojiang night cruises, and other routes.

Ningbo maritime authorities stated that they will continue to deepen the long-term mechanism for joint management of commercial and fishing vessels, closely examining risks and hidden dangers in key waterways, and sparing no effort to ensure the safety of people's lives and property during the holiday.