China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has announced the establishment of nine new state-level marine parks to safeguard the environment, bringing the total number to 42.

One of the new recreational ocean parks will be built in Hainan Island, which lies south of China where the disputed South China Sea begins, NDTV reported.  Although it is not the contested island, Times of India noted that it is one of the most forward places near the South China Sea.

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Aside from Hainan, other new parks are located at the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Liaoning, and Shandong, Global Times reported.

Meanwhile, the SOA ordered the local marine authorities of these provinces to delimit the areas and stop from arbitrarily adjusting or changing the boundaries and zoning, People's Daily China noted.

Furthermore, the administration also emphasized the need to boost marine environment protection particularly when tourism and aquaculture activities are being conducted on certain areas, according to state-run Xinhua News agency.

Such marine parks including Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai turned out to become major tourist attractions where rare animals such as polar bears, whale sharks, and beluga whales are publicly put on display.

Although the industry is flourishing, it faces criticism from animal right activists for the upkeep and captivity of the animals.

Meanwhile, state-level marine parks in China were first introduced five years ago to cater public space for coastal recreation, boost marine life protection, and develop a sustainable coastal tourism.

The South China Sea, where over $5 trillion of goods passes every year, is a disputed region with rival claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Tagsmarine parks, state-level marine parks