China News Service, Beijing, April 2 (Reporter Chen Su) Tang Renjian, China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said on the 2nd that since China launched a ten-year ban on fishing in the Yangtze River, the high incidence of illegal fishing in the Yangtze River has been effectively curbed.
Starting from January 1, 2021, China has implemented a ten-year fishing ban in the main stream of the Yangtze River, large river-connecting lakes, important tributaries, and some waters of the Yangtze River estuary, banning productive fishing of natural fishery resources all year round. On the 2nd, the State Council Information Office held a regular briefing on State Council policies to introduce the situation related to the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River.
Tang Renjian said that in the past three years, the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River has achieved important phased results. The number of illegal fishing reported by the masses in 2023 has dropped by 28% year-on-year, and the high and frequent occurrence of illegal fishing has been effectively curbed.
Tian Yonghao, head of the Public Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of China, said that at present, the frequent occurrence of large-scale illegal fishing crimes in the Yangtze River Basin has been effectively curbed. In particular, the number of criminal cases of illegal fishing in the main waters of the Yangtze River has dropped by more than 30%, and organized and gang-related cases accounted for more than 30%. It is less than 10%.
Statistics show that the aquatic biological resources of the Yangtze River are recovering well. The population of the iconic species Yangtze finless porpoise will reach 1,249 in 2022, an increase of 237 from the 2017 census, achieving a historic recovery. The Yangtze saury migrates upriver to Dongting Lake. It has reached the farthest watershed in history.
"The ban on fishing in the Yangtze River is a long-term, complex and arduous historical task. Now the Yangtze River can only be said to be 'recovering from a serious illness'. There are still many problems and challenges in accelerating the restoration of the basin's ecology." Tang Renjian said.
Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Unswervingly Promoting the Ten-Year Ban on Fishing in the Yangtze River", sending a signal that China will unswervingly promote the ban on fishing in the Yangtze River.
Tang Renjian said that we will focus on the ultimate goal of restoring aquatic biodiversity, continue to deepen the resettlement of retired fishermen, law enforcement and supervision of fishing bans, and aquatic life protection, improve quality and efficiency, and ensure that the ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River is stable and long-term and achieves the expected results. . (over)