"I'm not sure about that, but it's not under the Coast Guard's jurisdiction. You might need to ask the Fisheries Bureau." Little Du hesitated before adding, "Little Brother Lu, are you really going to lease a stretch of sea?"
Lu Ao caught the unspoken meaning in his words. "What is it?"
"We've been cracking down hard on marine violations lately, haven't we? The ship you reported a while back—the one that used trawl nets to drag coral—still hasn't been found. The case was reported to the Fisheries Bureau, and Director Hou there was pretty angry. He specifically launched a series of operations with us to clean up marine crime and illegal activity. Fish raft regulation is part of that, so I think your marine ranch project might be difficult to get approved."
Lu Ao had been somewhat prepared for this. "Mine is a new type of marine ranch. I looked it up—the country is promoting them, so it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Old Hou is pretty stubborn. If he doesn't approve of it, I'm afraid nothing else will matter much."
"I'll try first. If it doesn't work, I'll think of another way."
"Sure. If it doesn't work out, let me know. I'll help you think of something."
"Thanks."
After asking Little Du, Lu Ao personally made a trip to the Fisheries Bureau.
The Fisheries Bureau in their county did not have much authority. A large-scale sea lease like this had to be reported to the city.
After making the rounds, the report ultimately landed on Hou Mingzhi's desk at the Qianyong City Fisheries Bureau.
Just as Little Du had expected, Hou Mingzhi indeed rejected Lu Ao's report.
Lu Ao submitted it again. This time, after consulting Cao Zijun, he added a great deal more material, including an assessment from a