SHIJIAZHUANG- The provincial government of North China's Hebei province will invest about 15.5 billion yuan ($2.4 billion) during the country's 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015) to protect the Bohai Sea's marine environment, the provincial oceanic bureau said on Tuesday.

The funds will be used to set up 61 projects that will aim to control pollution, protect the marine ecological environment and improve the capability of marine conservation.

Domestic sewage, industrial effluent and agricultural pollution around the 52 rivers flowing into the Bohai Sea in Hebei are threatening the marine environment.

A marine environment supervision and control system is to be established on the completion of the 61 projects.