Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
WUHAN, May 10 (Xinhua) — Aquatic biodiversity in China’s Yangtze River basin is recovering after a decade-long fishing ban began several years ago.
A total of 344 native fish species were identified in the basin between 2021 and 2024, up 36 species from the 2017-2020 period that preceded the fishing ban, according to a meeting held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in central China’s Hubei Province on Friday.
Notably, Chinese authorities are cracking down on illegal fishing and achieving positive results. In 2024, the number of administrative cases related to fisheries fell by 24.7 percent compared to the previous year, and in the first quarter of 2025, a 3.3 percent year-on-year decline was recorded, said Zhang Zhili, deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
He stressed the importance of efforts to accelerate conservation of key species, enhance restoration of critical habitats, implement scientific breeding and release programs, strengthen protection of aquatic organisms, and promote integrated ecological restoration of aquatic spaces.
In an effort to restore biodiversity along the Yangtze River, China imposed a total ban on fishing in 332 protected areas in the river basin in January 2020.
Moreover, on January 1, 2021, a 10-year ban on fishing in the main channel of the Yangtze River and the waters of its main tributaries came into effect. -0-