Shanghai's maritime authority has saved 1,152 people in 203 sea rescue missions over the first 11 months of this year, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration announced at a press conference Thursday.

The administration reported that 96.6 percent of the people in distress were rescued from January to November, up 1.72 percentage points from the same period last year. It dispatched 748 vessels and 58 planes on rescue missions over the period, said Xu Guoyi, director of the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration.

The administration employed fixed-wing planes for the first time this year on five rescue missions. The planes fly faster than the helicopters that typically take part in sea rescues. They also hold up better in severe weather conditions.

Maritime rescue is especially challenging in Shanghai due to the frequency of extreme weather conditions and the vast area that the administration has to cover. The administration is responsible for the sea between Dongshan, Fujian Province, and Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province.

Shanghai suffered five typhoons this summer, during which the local maritime authority sheltered 6,374 ships from the strong winds.

The administration also has to deal with the heightened risk of water pollution due to the increasing number of international freighters carrying dangerous chemicals that has accompanied the region's rapid economic development and the construction of an international shipping center, Xu said.

The administration plans to create a professional team to prevent sea pollution, Xu said.