Beijing: About 1,000 vessels are stranded in the water as a cold snap has created a layer of thick sea ice on Laizhou Bay in China`s Shandong province.
The ice expanded to 291 square km this week and is continuing to grow, said Zheng Dong, Xinhua quoted an official with State Oceanic Administration as saying.
The ice this year is the worst the area has experienced in three years, he said.
According to aquafarmers, the ice is thicker than it was witnessed in the past years. It may lead to heavy losses, as the farmers are unable to penetrate the ice to provide adequate ventilation for sea cucumbers and other aquatic organisms.
Coastal police have warned the ice may cause damage to vessels passing through deeper sea areas near the Bohai and Yellow seas, in the northern East China Sea.
IANS
