A severe decline resources nearly paralyzed the fishing industry in eastern China earlier this year, leaving many boats anchored during the prime fishing season. Dwindling stocks brought on by years of over-fishing has become a challenge for many countries around the world. With this in mind, China and other nations are starting to exploit the resources of the South Pole.

Cao Yonglei has been a crewman for many years. Currently, he is preparing for a fishing trip 600 to 700 nautical miles away that will take around 5 months.

He says that ten years ago they traveled only a few dozen miles for fishing, but nowadays, they travel further, they get less.

"Previously, by spreading just one fishing net we could get dozens of tons, even hundreds of tons, of fish. The best record was as high as 600 tons. However, nowadays the best harvest is only at about 100 or 200 tons."

Department head of the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group of Corporations, Wang Jianlu, says 600 to 700 nautical miles for today's fishing vessels is not very far compared with other vessels who have to travel thousands of nautical miles. Sometimes one trip takes them two or three years.