China's fishery economy to grow 15%: ministry

BEIJING - China's fishery economy will see its total output expand 15 percent year-on-year to 1.73 trillion yuan ($275 billion) this year, the Ministry of Agriculture forecast.

The growth will lead to a 1,244 yuan increase in fishermen's annual per capita net income, which will reach 11,256 yuan on average, the MOA said in a press release posted on its website late Monday.

The country's aquatic products are expected to hit 59.06 million tons in 2012, up 5.4 percent from last year, the MOA said.

It estimated that the pelagic fishery sector will generate 1.18 million tons of products this year, 2.8 percent more than last year.

In the first ten months of this year, China exported 3.04 million tons of aquatic products and recorded a trade surplus of $8.45 billion, up 14.4 percent year-on-year, according to the MOA.