China News Service, Hefei, January 1st (Reporter Zhao Qiang) China's first local regulation for the protection of Yangtze finless porpoise-"Regulations on the protection of Yangtze finless porpoise in Anqing City" came into effect on the 1st.
In November 2020, the 22nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th Anhui Provincial People's Congress voted and passed the "Regulations on the Protection of the Yangtze River Finless Porpoise in Anqing City" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations", which will come into force on January 1, 2021). This is China's first local law to protect the Yangtze finless porpoise.
The Yangtze finless porpoise is the only aquatic mammalian wild animal in the Yangtze River Basin. It is at the top of the food chain of wild aquatic animals in the Yangtze River. It is a critically endangered animal under Class 1 national protection.
Because artificial reproduction has not yet been achieved, wild populations are facing a survival crisis, and their rarity, preciousness, and endangerment even exceed those of giant pandas.
Cheng Xuedong, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Anqing Municipal People’s Congress, said in an interview with the media that the Anqing section of the Yangtze River is one of the main habitats for the Yangtze finless porpoise. Through the protection of the Yangtze River finless porpoise that inhabits the Anqing section of the Yangtze River, comprehensive restoration of the waters of the Anqing section of the Yangtze River and the overall improvement of the living conditions of the Yangtze finless porpoise will be achieved.
It is understood that the "Regulations" emphasizes the principle of giving priority to in-situ protection, combining in-situ protection and ex-situ protection, stipulating that except for projects permitted by laws and regulations and public affairs needs such as flood control, disaster relief, river and waterway management, the Anqing section of the Yangtze River is prohibited The development and construction of the main habitat of the Yangtze finless porpoise has nothing to do with ecological restoration.
In response to the three types of outstanding problems that endanger the survival of the Yangtze finless porpoise, such as food shortage, accidental injury, and water pollution, the "Regulations" design relevant provisions to deal with it. Other key water areas are engaged in measures such as productive fishing operations to protect the food sources of the Yangtze finless porpoise.
In addition, the "Regulations" also proposed to strengthen the construction of infrastructure and standardized management of the Yangtze finless porpoise ex-situ protected area, build high-standard Yangtze finless porpoise rescue bases, scientific research bases, and ecological protection bases to promote population recovery.
On December 31, 2020, the "10-year ban on fishing" in key waters of the Yangtze River Basin was held in Wuhan, Hubei Province. According to the deployment, from 0:00 on January 1, 2021, the key waters of the Yangtze River will be banned for 10 years. fish.
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