Leaders of Zhanjiang, a coastal city in the western part of Guangdong province, expect the sea to play an increasingly important role in the city's economic growth in the years ahead.

With abundant marine resources, including natural gas, crude oil, fisheries and offshore wind force, the city has unique advantages for oceanic industries.

The central government approved Zhanjiang to become a comprehensive experimental zone for developing marine economy in Guangdong in 2011. Local officials say the coastal city should seize this opportunity to develop the city's oceanic industries.

The marine sector is on a track to becoming a pillar industry and playing a bigger part in Zhanjiang's economic growth in 2020, according to the city's blueprint for oceanic development.

The city aspires to be a model for marine economy. To this end, relevant departments in the city have been urged to map out details and ambitious development plans that apply scientific methods to the industry.

Meanwhile, the blueprint requires departments to introduce effective and concrete measures to protect the sea while taking efforts to develop the city's chemical, steel, fishery and tourism industries.

The water at more than 90 percent of the project areas should meet quality standards by that time, local authorities said.

It is also moving to enhance protection of coral reefs, wetlands and mangroves.

Aquaculture

Known as the "city of prawns", Zhanjiang should also expand its investment in ocean aquaculture industry in the future, local authorities said.

Zhanjiang's prawn output now annually represents more than 75 percent of the country's total, while its pearl output accounts for 60 percent, according to statistics from the city government.

The city has great potential in the fields of ocean medicine, aquatic product processing and breeding, local authorities said.

The city's aquatic product quality demonstration zone for exports was among the first group of 90 national safety and quality zones certified by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine last year.

Aquatic exports from Zhanjiang have surpassed 100,000 tons every year for the past six years.

It is the top locale in the country for the breeding, processing, export and sale of prawns.

Last year, Zhanjiang was assigned the role as a national base for the transformation of the aquatic product industry.

Ocean industry

Gu Jian'guang, director of economic policy research institute with Shanghai Jiaotong University, said Zhanjiang has unique advantages in developing its ocean industry.

"It faces the vast South China Sea and has constructed good ports, harbors and related facilities, which have provided a good platform for the city to develop its ocean industry," Gu told a seminar in Zhanjiang on Sept 23.