China bans fishing in depleted Yangtze River for 10 years to protect aquatic life
- Agriculture vice-minister says waterway has seen ‘across-the-board decline’ in populations of rare species such as Chinese sturgeon
- Moratorium aims to revive fish stocks and curb biodiversity degradation
China has imposed a 10-year commercial fishing ban on the Yangtze – the first ever for Asia’s longest river – in a bid to protect its aquatic life.
Facing dwindling fish stocks and declining biodiversity in the 6,300km (3,915-mile) river, the Chinese government decided seasonal moratoriums were not enough. The ban took effect on Wednesday, and will be applied at 332 conservation sites along the river. It will be extended to cover the main river course and key tributaries by January 1 next year, according to a State Council notice.
“The Yangtze is a major river in the world in terms of its aquatic species diversity. It is also an important shield for protecting our country’s ecology and improving conservation in the … region,” Yu Zhenkang, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, was quoted as saying by Xinhua on Wednesday.
“The fishing ban is a key measure to effectively curb the decline of the river’s ecosystem and any further drop in biodiversity,” Yu said.
He added that dam-building, pollution, overfishing, river transport and dredging had worsened the situation for the waterway’s aquatic species. As a result, the Yangtze had seen an “across-the-board decline” in populations of rare species such as the Chinese sturgeon, which is critically endangered.
