Watchdog cracking down on illegal fishing

Shanghai's market watchdog has launched a crackdown on fishing on the Yangtze River and has detected 71 cases based on monitoring of online platforms, authorities announced on Monday.

The State Council has issued a notice imposing seasonal fishing bans on the Yangtze River.

Market authorities citywide have enhanced inspections at agriculture produce markets, supermarkets, and catering businesses, the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation said.

Based on terms such as Yangtze River wildlife, Yangtze River fresh fish and Chinese sturgeon, authorities monitored 350,000 e-commerce platforms, fresh food apps and websites, and spotted 71 irregularities, according to the administration.

Among them, 47 were platforms in other provinces and municipalities, and they have been transferred to local market authorities, the administration said.

Food producers are banned from procuring and processing fish from the Yangtze River and markets and catering businesses are banned from sales. E-commerce platforms are banned from releasing relevant information.

Market watchdogs in the Pudong New Area and Chongming District cracked two cases of fake advertising claiming to be for Yangtze River fish.

A food company in Pudong claimed it sold Yangtze River longsnout catfish fin, which turned out to be silver carp fin.

In another case, a restaurant in Chongming claimed to be using Yangtze River daoyu (knife fish) so as to boost sales.

Officials will further beef up inspections at aquatic products market to ensure the sources of aquatic products can be tracked, the administration said.

Catering service providers at the mouth of Yangtze River will be particularly targeted, and businesses have been ordered to enhance the management of raw materials and use of aquatic products, it said.

Supervision and management of e-commerce platforms will be stepped up as well to stamp out illegal sales of wild fish from the Yangtze River and illegal fishing, the administration said.

The public is being urged to alert authorities to any irregularities via the city's 12315 consumer protection hotline.