China is a major maritime fishery country in the world. In 2022, the national output of marine aquatic products reached 34.5953 million tons, with 206,700 marine fishing vessels and 1,154 coastal fishing ports. The fishery industry is a high-risk industry, and in recent years, fishing vessel fire accidents have gradually increased, attracting attention from all sectors of society. According to statistics from the China Fishery Mutual Insurance Association, from 1994 to 2015, a total of 2,329 insured fishing vessels suffered fires, among which 268 vessels were completely lost, and 2,061 suffered partial losses. Fishing vessel fires have become one of the important factors affecting the safety of fishing vessels. Fishing vessels in the harbor basin of fishing ports are moored closely, and there are characteristics such as fast heat transfer speed of the hull, fast fire spread, and difficulty in rescue and evacuation. Once a fire breaks out, it is easy to cause a chain reaction of fires, resulting in serious losses to the lives and property of fishermen. At present, scholars' research on fire safety facilities and equipment mainly focuses on land buildings and marine facilities, such as commercial buildings, airport terminals, gymnasiums, exhibition buildings, urban underground transportation projects, large expo buildings, offshore platforms, and ships, with relatively comprehensive studies. However, research on fire safety facilities at ports and wharves at the land-sea junction is relatively scarce. In view of this, to systematically propose a plan for equipping fire-fighting facilities and equipment in China's coastal fishing ports, this study, based on the investigation of the current situation and summary analysis, puts forward fire-fighting facilities and equipment allocation schemes for different types of fishing ports, and puts forward reasonable suggestions for strengthening fire-fighting management in fishing ports, aiming to provide reference for the allocation of fire-fighting facilities and equipment as well as safety management in fishing ports. Current Situation of Fire-Fighting Facilities and Equipment Allocation in China's Coastal Fishing Ports According to the *2023 China Fishery Statistical Yearbook*, there are 1,154 coastal fishing ports in China, including 73 central fishing ports, 95 first-class fishing ports, 222 second-class fishing ports, and 764 third-class and below fishing ports. According to the basic statistical data of coastal fishing ports and sheltered anchorages in 2021, the allocation rates of onshore and offshore fire-fighting facilities in coastal fishing ports are shown in Figures 1 and 2. 78% of central fishing ports are equipped with onshore fire rescue equipment such as fire hydrants and fire extinguishers, while only 19.2% are equipped with water rescue equipment such as fire boats and fire boats; 62.1% of first-class fishing ports are equipped with onshore fire rescue equipment, and only 5.3% are equipped with water rescue equipment; 56.3% of second-class fishing ports are equipped with onshore fire rescue equipment, and only 3 second-class fishing ports are equipped with fire boats; the allocation rate of fire-fighting facilities in third-class and below fishing ports is only 41.2%. Compared with first-class, second-class, and third-class fishing ports, central fishing ports have more complete fire-fighting facilities and equipment, but the proportion of water fire-fighting equipment such as fire boats and fire boats is still low. Taking Guangdong Province as an example, there are currently 102 coastal fishing ports, including 12 central fishing ports, 16 first-class fishing ports, 27 second-class fishing ports, and 57 third-class and below fishing ports. There are 47 auxiliary fire boats (mainly temporarily used as water supply boats) distributed in 18 fishing ports; 216 fire pumps distributed in 72 fishing ports; 155 fire hydrants distributed in 26 fishing ports; and 59 fishing ports are still not equipped with fire-fighting facilities. Main Existing Problems 1. The placement location and quantity of fire extinguishers do not meet the requirements. The number of portable fire extinguishers equipped at different locations on fishing vessels is an important indicator, directly related to whether crew members can immediately obtain fire extinguishers near the fire site to extinguish the fire and meet the basic amount of fire-fighting agents required for fire fighting. The *Rules for Statutory Survey of Fishing Vessels* (2017 edition) clearly stipulates the number of portable fire extinguishers to be equipped for fishing vessels of different lengths, including key areas for ship navigation such as living quarters, service control stations, and machinery spaces, which should be equipped according to the length of the ship. At least one of them should be stored near the entrance of the space. The inspection found that the insufficient number of fire extinguishers on fishing vessels is common; among the 187 inspected fishing vessels, 120 have an insufficient number of fire extinguishers, accounting for 64.2% of all inspected fishing vessels, and 16 of them are short of 2 or more. The *Rules* also stipulate that the placement environment of fire extinguishers should not hinder the normal access of users, there should be no accumulation of debris, and the storage racks of fire extinguishers should not be locked. The inspection found that the placement environment of portable fire extinguishers on board is poor. Some fire extinguishers are fixed by binding, some are completely placed in boxes with locks, and some are stored in places that cannot be accessed normally. 2. Unauthorized products on board are common. The inspection found that most portable fire extinguishers on fishing vessels are "on board without authorization". Among all 187 inspected fishing vessels, 131 are equipped with fire extinguishers that are not approved products, accounting for 70% of "unauthorized" products. Some fire extinguisher specifications and models are approved by fishing vessel inspection institutions, but the product batches are not approved batches. The inspection also found many portable fire extinguishers with missing or damaged nameplates, making it impossible to identify basic information of the fire extinguishers. In case of safety accidents caused by fire extinguisher failure, it is difficult to trace the responsibility. 3. Annual inspection is not carried out as required. The *Rules for Statutory Survey of Fishing Vessels* (2017 edition) stipulates that fire extinguishers equipped on fishing vessels should be overhauled once a year. The inspection found that the number of fire extinguishers without annual inspection information reached 216, accounting for more than 20% of the total number of inspected ones. Since the fire extinguisher cylinder is a pressure vessel, the degree of corrosion of the cylinder directly affects its mechanical strength. According to Article 6.3 of the land standard *GA 95-2007 Fire Extinguisher Maintenance and Scrap Regulations*, a hydrostatic test is required during fire extinguisher overhaul. The inspection found that corrosion of the handle (pressure handle) and safety devices is common, and fire extinguishers with severe corrosion have no maintenance certificates; corrosion in this part can easily lead to increased safety release force and opening force when the fire extinguisher is sprayed, causing the safety device to "jam", making it impossible to pull out the safety device or press the handle. Some fire extinguishers have missing safety devices and lead seals, and many fire extinguisher pressure indicators point to the red area, i.e., underpressure. The main reason for this situation is that the fire extinguishers are not promptly overhauled and refilled after use or misactivation, resulting in the fire extinguishers being in a disabled state. 4. The filling amount of fire extinguisher agents is insufficient. The *Rules for Statutory Survey of Fishing Vessels* (2017 edition) defines the filling amount of portable fire extinguishers as follows: "The capacity of portable liquid fire extinguishers shall not be greater than 13.5L and not less than 9L, and the fire-fighting performance of other fire extinguishers shall be at least equivalent to that of 9L liquid fire extinguishers". The provision of "equivalent to 9L liquid fire extinguishers" is also explained in the *CCS Ship Fire Protection Guide* (1999 edition), i.e., the fire-fighting performance of a 9L hand-held liquid fire extinguisher is equivalent to that of a 5kg hand-held dry powder fire extinguisher and a 5kg hand-held CO₂ fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers equipped on fishing vessels are mainly divided into water-based fire extinguishers, CO₂ fire extinguishers, and dry powder fire extinguishers, among which dry powder fire extinguishers are the most widely used. During the inspection, it was found that the filling amount of dry powder fire extinguishers used in fishing vessels varies, ranging from 2kg to 8kg. The filling amount of fire extinguishers directly determines their effective喷射 time and fire-fighting performance. Therefore, the regulations stipulate the total filling amount for ships of different lengths; too little total filling amount will inevitably reduce the effective fire-fighting time of fire extinguishers. Fire-Fighting Processes and Equipment Allocation Requirements in Fishing Ports The process of a fishing port fire from discovery to extinguishment can be summarized into four stages: fire discovery → initial fire fighting → later fire fighting → rescue summary. The facilities and equipment required for each stage are shown in Table 1. Stage 1: Fire discovery can be done by staff actively pressing the fire alarm button, or by using fire detectors in the fire management system. Fire detectors can be divided into smoke detectors, heat detectors, flame detectors, special gas detectors, etc., according to the type of information collected. For monitoring fire information in the protected area, detectors should be selected according to local conditions. For such small and enclosed spaces on ships, smoke, heat, and light-sensitive detectors can be installed. Once there is a sign of fire, the detector will automatically issue an alarm, and the user's bound mobile phone and management platform will also receive the message synchronously. Relevant personnel will perceive the fire at the first time. At the same time, manual fire alarm buttons need to be installed in obvious locations with fire hazards on fishing vessels. For large open fishing port spaces, it is necessary to install fire detectors at high places that can detect a wide range to monitor the occurrence of fires at any time, and also install manual fire alarm buttons at appropriate positions on the wharf for the convenience of management personnel. Stage 2: Initial fire fighting. In the initial stage of a fire, the fire area is generally small and the temperature is low, which is the best time for fire fighting. Automatic sprinkler heads can be installed in locations with fire hazards on fishing vessels. When a fire breaks out in the cabin, water will be automatically sprayed to extinguish the fire. At the same time, portable, towed fire extinguishers, or fire sand and other facilities and equipment need to be stored in the cabin. When a fire is found, use fire extinguishers or sand to put it out. When flammable materials on the wharf surface catch fire, portable fire extinguishers, towed fire extinguishers, fire sand, and other fire-fighting equipment can be used nearby. Outdoor fire equipment boxes can also be set up to store tools related to fire rescue, such as fire extinguishers, fire water guns, fire hoses, and fire breaking tools. Fire broadcasting should be installed within the fishing port to facilitate notification of relevant personnel to evacuate in time and reduce casualties when a fire occurs. Stage 3: Later fire fighting. In the later stage of a fire, the fire generally becomes larger, and equipment for close-range fire fighting such as portable fire extinguishers and fire sand can no longer control the fire. At this time, a large amount of water with a certain range is needed for fire fighting. If the fire occurs on the shore or on a ship close to the shore, outdoor fire hydrants can be connected to water guns or fire trucks for fire fighting; if the distance from the shore does not exceed 60m, fire water cannons can be set on the wharf for fire fighting; when the fire occurs on a ship far from the shore, it is necessary to activate water rescue measures, using fire boats, fire boats, or nearby fishing vessels for fire fighting. Stage 4: Rescue summary. After the fire, it is necessary to carry out rescue in a timely manner, summarize the fire-fighting work, learn from experience and lessons, and use fire broadcasting or fire safety publicity columns to publicize fire safety knowledge, so as to improve fishermen's fire safety awareness and self-protection ability. Fire-Fighting Facilities and Equipment Allocation Schemes for Different Types of Fishing Ports For the convenience of research, through the analysis of satellite images and field investigations, coastal fishing ports are divided into two types according to terrain: river (narrow and long) -type fishing ports and coastal (large water area) -type fishing ports. River (narrow and long) -type fishing ports mainly refer to fishing ports located upstream of river estuaries, built along the river, and fishing vessels moored in the fishing port are mostly distributed along the river. The width of both sides of the river is generally not more than 150m. Coastal (large water area) -type fishing ports mainly refer to fishing ports located on the coast, including those with large sheltered waters formed by building breakwaters in the sea area and concave fishing ports excavated on land. Such fishing ports have a relatively wide harbor basin water area and a large berthing area for fishing vessels, mostly national central fishing ports or first-class fishing ports. Fishing vessels in river-type fishing ports are moored on both sides of the river, leaving a navigation channel in the middle. The distance from the farthest berthing point of fishing vessels in central and first-class fishing ports to the shore is generally 40-60m, and that in second and third-class fishing ports is generally 30-40m. Therefore, fire-fighting facilities and equipment can be configured according to the distance from the farthest berthing point of fishing vessels to the shore. Due to the wide water area of coastal-type fishing ports, there are large berthing areas available in the fishing port. Fishing vessels can berth both near the shore and at anchorages in the harbor basin, and the berthing positions are far beyond the protection radius of land fire-fighting equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to equip fire boats or fire boats to solve the fire-fighting problems of fishing vessels in the port. However, the protection range of onshore fire-fighting equipment should cover the land area and fishing vessels berthing near the shore. Fire-fighting facilities and equipment allocation schemes for the two different types of fishing ports: In the fire early warning and initial fire fighting stages, the facilities and equipment configured for the two types of fishing ports are basically similar. The main difference is that the types and quantities of fire detectors and fire extinguishers should be determined according to the actual conditions of the fishing port, such as distance, area, and fire type. In the later fire fighting stage, the difference between the fire-fighting facilities and equipment allocation schemes of the two different types of fishing ports lies in the selection of the theoretical range of onshore fixed fire water cannons to ensure that all berthed fishing vessels are within the protection radius. In addition, for fishing vessels with an offshore distance exceeding the protection range of onshore facilities, it is necessary to configure fire boats, fire boats, or other ships with fire rescue functions to solve the fire-fighting problem. The specific number and type of configuration need to be comprehensively determined according to factors such as water area and the number of berthed fishing vessels. Article sources: Hebei Fisheries, China Ship Survey Magazine