China Protects Aquatic Resources Along YangtzeA joint action against illegal fishing activities along the Yangtze River ended October 24, as one of China's major efforts to protect aquatic resources, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.The joint action started on October 15, with about 880 officials from seven provinces and two municipalities involved, including Sichuan, Hunan, Chongqing and Shanghai. The illegal fishing by means of electric shock devices, explosives and poisoning is considered to endanger many aquatic animals, with some species of fish on the verge of extinction, and damage the ecological environment along the river. The Yangtze River, home to many famous endangered aquatic animals, does not witness a favorable situation of aquatic resources, said Chen Zhengguo, an official with the Administrative Commission of the Yangtze River Fishery Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture. The irrational fishing with illegal equipment is the major cause for the diminishing resources, besides water pollution, he said. The fishing output on the Yangtze River, except bred aquatics, dropped from 450,000 tons in 1954 to about 200,000 tons in the 1980s and now is estimated to be less than half of the 1980s. China has launched several projects to improve aquatic resources along the river, such as banning fishing in the fish's reproduction areas in winter and forming a network to monitor aquatic resources along the whole valley, Chen added. As another major effort, China started last weekend its first synchronous monitoring project on the ecological environment of major fishing grounds along the Yangtze River. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |