Authorities tightening screws of Yangtze River fishing ban

Xinhua

The Shanghai government said today that it will wage a campaign this year against violators of the Yangtze River fishing ban.

The ban, announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs last year, took effect on January 1 and will last 10 years.

In Shanghai, the crackdown on trading aquatic life from the river will be intensified with a focus on baby eels, Coilia Ectenes and Eriocheir sinensis, popular fish and crab species from the river. Those posting illegal advertisements on such species will be prosecuted, according to the local government.

The city will also continue clearing unregistered fishing boats from its coastal areas and turning away fishing boats from out of town that linger in the waterways, while cutting off service chains for illegal fishing along the coast.

A decision to clarify certain legal questions related to pushing forward the ban was passed in the legislatures of Shanghai as well as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces in February and March.

There are more than 4,300 aquatic organisms in the river, including over 400 fish species, among which about 180 are only available in the river.

Due to years of overfishing, the amount of fish taken from the river has fallen to under 100,000 tons a year, while the total output of freshwater fish in China is more than 30 million tons.

Experts think the ban will not affect the market supply of freshwater fish in the country, and is conducive to preserving the river's aquatic resources.

The river, which runs west to east through the country, is the longest in China and the third-longest in the world.