A wharf of the Dalian Bay Fishing Port.	CPC party seceretary Zhang Yi (right) and General Manager Xu Zhaobin(left) of the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group.	Processing aquatic products.

Founded in 1945, the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group in Northeast China's Liaoning Province is a state-owned enterprise with assets of RMB 2 billion (US $250 million) and a staff body numbering more than 7,000.

The group is located in the Dalian Bay Fishing Port, which encompasses a sea area of 1.2 million sq m and a land area of 1.09 million sq m. To its south, the Yellow Sea ocean navigation route links it with other major ports around the world, while to its north, modern railways and highways connect it with the rapidly developing northeastern parts of China. To the west of the port is the city of Dalian, and to the east is the Dalian Economic and Technological Development Zone, where numerous domestic and foreign businesses are located.

The modern port enjoys excellent infrastructure and bustling trade, but it can also speak of a long history. The nearby Dazuizi relic proves that fishermen have lived there for some 4,000 years. Other relics include the Li Hongzhang Landing Stage and the Submarine Mine Brigade (now a small town). These indicate that the military has used the port as a strategic base from ancient to more modern times. And the Japanese battlefield hospital and Russian-style towers whisper stories of foreign invasions in Northeast China.

The port has in the past four decades undergone tremendous changes. It is a modern fishing port with five unloading docks that can berth some 6,000 fishing boats, as well as seven large berths that can handle 3,000-10,000 ton ships. Covering an area of 13,000 sq m, the Dalian International Aquatic Products Trade Center handles some 340,000 tons of aquatic products every year.

The port also has the largest number of ice houses in China, with cold storage capacity of 85,000 tons, including two 30,000-ton refrigerated compartments. Its annual product processing capacity is 36,000 tons. Other facilities include a 3,000 ton oil wharf with a 120,000 cubic meter oil tank, a fishery product supermarket, a large shipbuilding plant, a modern thermal power plant, and various other businesses in the service sector.

Its advanced facilities, excellent services and clean, green environment have earned the port recognition from the government. The Chinese Ministry of Personnel, the National Greening Commission and the State Forestry Administration have conferred numerous titles on the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group, and it is the only national-level "garden style" enterprise in Dalian.

The group has integrated traditional fishing culture with modern high technology to develop tourist attractions, too. Visitors can dine on a wide range of ocean delicacies while experiencing the unique aquatic culture. Eight fishing industry bases have taken shape in the port, including ocean fishing, aquatic product processing, logistics, storage and shipment, information exchange, shipbuilding, recreational fishing and fishery commodity supply.

The Dalian Ocean Fishery Group's contribution to the development of ocean fishing in China is immeasurable. When the Dalian Bay Fishing Port was completed in October 1966, the entire area was transformed into a solid base for the development of ocean fishing. With advanced scientific methods, it quickly took the lead in trawling, purse net fishing and whaling (though the latter has been halted for environmental reasons).

After the implementation of the reform and opening policy in 1978, the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group was China's first enterprise to introduce large trawlers from abroad. It was the first to expand its operations from inshore to deep-sea in the Bering Sea, and further on to the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

In 1996, it became China's first listed ocean fishing company, and its success in the stock markets encouraged other Chinese fishery enterprises to follow suit. In recent years, it has reinvented its ocean fishing methods to better compete on the global stage.

Fishing is not the group's only interest. It has diversified into real estate and international economic and technological cooperation, and has a well rounded development strategy. Over the years, the Dalian Ocean Fishery Group has forged an enviable reputation, and it plays a leading role in its field.

In today's fast-paced world, group leaders place an emphasis on the quality of their human resources. A modern enterprise administration system was established in 2001. It made the board of directors responsible for major decision-making, placed the general managers and their assistants in charge of policy implementation, and established a political core made up of CPC party leaders.

Such effective scientific management provides the group's younger employees with an excellent environment for self-development. All group leaders emphasize the importance of training their staff, and allow them to realize their full potential. One such policy stipulates that any employee with five years of service can compete for a management position.

The group is therefore building a young, energetic and professional team, which will bring even more economic benefits, and ensure a glorious future, for the an Ocean Fishery Group.