Sea ice in Bohai Bay to reach peak in mid-January

The North China Sea Branch of the State Oceanic Administration predicted on Wednesday that the sea ice in Bohai Bay and in the Yellow Sea will reach its peak from mid-January to mid-February 2013.

During this period, the drifting ice will have a height between 15 and 40 centimeters, and will be 150 kilometers away from the shore in Liaodong Bay.

Marine authorities asked fishermen to prepare, to avoid economic losses in the fishery industry.

Sea ice this winter is expected to be normal, similar to the average levels in the past two decades, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center said.

According to the center's data, about every five years, a severe sea ice disaster happens in the country, requiring the attention of coastal authorities.

In January, Bohai Bay was hit by a severe sea ice disaster, the worst in the past four decades. About half of the bay was covered by ice, affecting 95,000 people in the coastal Shandong province with direct economic losses reaching more than 1 billion yuan ($160 million).

Sea ice can trap ships and boats and may damage the fishery industry and offshore activities.