SHANGHAI - The annual fishing ban on the East China Sea will begin from noon Friday, the East China Sea Fishery Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture said Thursday.

The bureau issued a circular on Thursday notifying the public that the fishing ban will last until Sept 16 on the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea between 35 degrees and 26'30 degrees north latitude. And the ban will end on August 1 on parts of the East China Sea south of the zone.

The circular said more than 50,000 fishing boats will be moored at ports during the fishing ban.

The fishing ban aimed at protecting fish during their egg-laying season is currently in effect on the South China Sea. The fishing ban on the South China Sea started on May 16 and will last through Aug 1.

Local governments have organized free training courses and aquaculture technology exchanges for fishermen during the two-and-a-half-month fishing moratorium.

It is estimated that 700,000 tonnes of diesel fuel will be saved, as fishing vessels will be docked during the ban on the East China Sea.

Meanwhile, the fishing bans on China's eastern and southern seas have triggered a price surge in aquatic products.

"The price of sea fish such as hairtail and pomfret has jumped up 10 percent from two weeks ago, as supplies are poised to fall due to the ban," said Yan Jiaolin, a seafood wholesaler with the Zhejiang Nongdu Aquatic Market.