BISSAU, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- On the Atlantic coast of Guinea-Bissau, the February afternoon sunlight glistens on the rippling sea. At the Bandim Fisheries Wharf, crew members of the China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC) in Guinea-Bissau mended fishing nets and inspected fuel supplies, making final preparations for the year's first voyage.
As loud whistles pierced the air, seven fishing vessels slowly pulled away from the dock, bound for the deep ocean. Their hulls shimmered under the fading sunlight as they sliced through the waves, leaving behind trails of white foam.
Qi Lianghua, the 54-year-old captain of Yuanyu 884, has been fishing in Guinea-Bissau's waters for 28 consecutive years. This voyage, he said, includes 101 Chinese crew members and 127 foreign crew members. As Guinea-Bissau enforces a fishing moratorium every January, the fleet sets sail on Feb. 1 each year, spending up to 11 months at sea.
"Our crew eats fish at every meal, so whenever a supply ship delivers fresh vegetables, the entire vessel erupts in cheers," he said.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the Atlantic's most abundant fishing grounds. With a continental shelf extending 160 kilometers and an exclusive economic zone covering about 70,000 square kilometers, its waters are teeming with scaly fish, shrimp, lobster, crabs and cephalopods. Annual fishery production reaches between 300,000 and 350,000 tonnes. However, as the country lacks its own deep-sea fishing fleet, issuing fishing licenses to foreign vessels has become one of its main sources of foreign exchange.
In August 1984, the Chinese and Guinea-Bissau governments signed a fisheries cooperation agreement before CNFC dispatched its first distant-water fishing fleet to the country in May 1985.
"Back then, our fleet carried hundreds of tons of shipbuilding and fishing supplies and spent 62 days sailing across the vast ocean," recalled Wang Songjie, the 57-year-old captain of Yuanyu 883. "At the time, Bissau Port lacked essential unloading equipment and transport vehicles. Everything had to be done manually."
Although the original pioneers have long retired, this history has been passed down by word of mouth, and every CNFC employee remains connected to the company's history in Guinea-Bissau.
Over nearly four decades, CNFC's operations in Guinea-Bissau have continued to expand. The local office now operates 15 bottom trawlers and employs 242 staff members from China and overseas. While supporting China's deep-sea fishing industry, the company has also actively contributed to local economic development. To date, it has hired and trained over 1,000 local crew members and managers, while also sharing modern fishing techniques with local fishermen.
Pedro Augusto, a Guinea-Bissau sailor aboard Yuanyu 892, said "I have worked at sea with Chinese fishing vessels for many years. The Chinese crew members are very patient and have taught me many advanced fishing techniques. My salary is also sufficient to support my family, and I feel very happy."
In May 2023, the China-aided Bandim Fisheries Wharf was inaugurated. That same year, CNFC completed a seafood processing and storage facility near the wharf, covering about 4,000 square meters. Now the largest modern fisheries processing plant in Guinea-Bissau, it continuously supplies local residents with affordable seafood.
Issumaila Djalo, a staff member at CNFC's Guinea-Bissau office, underlined fisheries as "one of Guinea-Bissau's pillar industries". "Thanks to China's support, our country's marine resources are truly benefiting the people."
In March 2024, Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau Rui Duarte de Barros visited the fisheries processing plant and presented CNFC's local office with an "Honorary Certificate for Cooperation and Development" on behalf of the government.
"The fisheries cooperation between CNFC and us is a model of economic and trade cooperation between our two countries and should serve as an example for all of Guinea-Bissau's partners," Barros said.
Sun Zhixiang, who has worked in Guinea-Bissau for 27 years and serves as the general manager of CNFC's local office, still feels emotional when recalling the moment he received the certificate. To him, it is a recognition of the company's nearly 40 years of dedication to the country and its people.
"Guinea-Bissau is my second home," he said. "I will continue to stay rooted here, contributing to the development of the country's blue economy and deepening the friendship between our two peoples." ■
