The ecological seawall in Putian, Fujian province, Southeast China. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Southeast China's Fujian province has recorded its fewest red tide incidents and smallest affected area in 2025, with coastal marine ecosystems remaining in generally good condition.

The 2025 Fujian Province Marine Ecological Early Warning Monitoring Report, released on June 8, said four red tide incidents were detected during the year, affecting a maximum combined area of 90.6 square kilometers. No direct economic losses to fisheries were reported.

Marine biodiversity in the province's coastal waters remained stable. Monitoring conducted during the summer of 2025 identified 797 species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and shallow-sea benthic organisms, up 91 from 2024. Biodiversity indices for the three groups were above the national average.

The share of nearshore waters that did not experience eutrophication reached 94.8 percent, up two percentage points from a year earlier, indicating generally good water quality.

Fujian also expanded marine conservation and restoration programs during the year. Two local "Blue Bay" restoration projects were selected by the Ministry of Natural Resources as model cases. Restoration efforts improved across 27,000 mu (1,800 hectares) of tidal flats, while invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) was largely eradicated through ongoing control measures.

The province handled 18 aquatic wildlife rescue cases, released 11.94 billion aquatic organisms for stock enhancement, and carried out 16,334 marine ecological law enforcement operations. Authorities also investigated 219 cases of illegal fishing during the summer fishing ban.