The biggest crackdown on overloaded vessels across the Yangtze and its major tributaries started on 1 July and will last for the remainder of 2010. As part of this ministry-driven initiative, Yangtze maritime safety authorities have set up random check points at ports and anchorages as well as hot-spots such as the Yichang section of the trunkline, the Huangpu River (in Shanghai) and the Grand Canal.

Any vessels found to be overloaded will be forced to lighten. Officials will also check documentation pertaining to the number of crew members and vessel worthiness.

The worldwide economic downturn has had an adverse effect on Yangtze shipping volumes. An increasing number of shipping companies are cutting corners by reducing crew numbers to below the required level and overloading their vessels. According to maritime safety officials, this has led to a dramatic increase in the number of vessels that sink. In the Jiangsu section, for example, which accounts for two-thirds of all cargo traffic on the Yangtze, 16 out of 34 accidents that occurred in the first six months of the year were vessels that sunk due to overloading. Most of the vessels were carrying sand or gravel.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Transport vowed to co-ordinate the campaign so that ‘no offending vessels can easily slip the net’.