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Biodiversity of China’s Yangtze River improves, but endangered species still under threat
- Government report finds number of native fish and protected wildlife species up over previous year, but there is much room for improvement
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Dannie Pengin Beijing
The Yangtze – China’s longest river and a critical habitat for aquatic life – is showing signs of ecological improvement, the latest government report says, while warning that there is still a long way to go to protect biodiversity in its waters, especially rare and endangered species.
In a communique released on August 12, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and two other ministries said a series of policy measures to protect the Yangtze River had resulted in improved habitats and environmental indicators.
The measures were centred around a 10-year fishing ban imposed in 2020, according to the document also signed by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
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Aquatic biodiversity had steadily improved since the implementation of the ban, the statement said, with 227 species of native fish monitored in the Yangtze River basin last year, an increase of 34 species from the previous year.
Additionally, 14 species of nationally protected aquatic wildlife were recorded in 2023 – three more than in the previous year.
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Their habitat conditions were also generally stable, the communique stated.
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