Tie the openings at both ends of a fyke net (a type of fishing gear) tightly. Fasten one end to an underwater wooden stake or buoy, and attach the other end to a weight before casting it into the water. This is the routine work repeated every day by technicians engaged in aquatic organism monitoring.

Starting from mid-September, a small boat carrying a banner reading “Monitoring of Aquatic Biological Resources in Key Waters of Anhui Province” appears regularly on the Maanshan reach of the Yangtze River. Some fish species are nocturnal. To complete sampling, technicians usually set the nets before dusk and return to retrieve them early the next morning.

The monitoring project for aquatic biological resources in key waters of Anhui Province was launched in 2022 and is conducted twice a year. “We conduct sampling of water quality, fish, benthic organisms, phytoplankton and other aquatic organisms across the entire Anhui section of the Yangtze River, from Maanshan City all the way to Anqing City. The goal is to grasp the dynamics of existing aquatic biological resources in this river reach and assess the effects of the fishing ban,” on-site monitoring staff told China Newsweek.

Maanshan Reach, Yangtze River (Anhui)

Previously, due to the extensive development model, the water quality of the Yangtze River kept deteriorating, and its Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) fell to the worst "fishless" level. "The Yangtze River is sick, and seriously so." Several years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping made this "diagnosis" on the ecological environment of the Yangtze River.

Faced with the severe ecological situation, a 10-year fishing ban took effect on January 1, 2021 in key waters including the main stream and major tributaries of the Yangtze River, large lakes connected to the river, and designated areas of the Yangtze River Estuary.

In the same year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the Implementation Plan for Yangtze River Biodiversity Conservation (2021–2025). According to its overall objectives, phased progress will be achieved in the conservation of rare and endangered species such as the Chinese sturgeon, Yangtze finless porpoise and Yangtze sturgeon by 2025. Critical habitats for aquatic organisms will be effectively restored and protected, aquatic biological resources will increase, and the biotic integrity of aquatic ecosystems will steadily improve.

The 10-year fishing ban is approaching its halfway mark. How have fish and other aquatic organisms in the Yangtze River recovered? How can we consolidate existing achievements and continue restoring the Yangtze River’s ecosystem in the second half of the ban?

Remarkable Recovery of Fish Resources

On the surface of the Huanggang Reach of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, two circular ripples spread outward. A finless porpoise could be faintly seen chasing something.

Seconds after the water calmed down, the porpoise surfaced, flicked its tail and dived back. As it poked its head out again, a 20-centimeter fish darted past its mouth. After chasing the fish for several rounds, the porpoise raised its head, opened its mouth and snapped up the fish before submerging.

One morning in September, an environmental volunteer captured the whole process of the porpoise having its "breakfast" with a UAV. Such scenes were almost unthinkable before the fishing ban.

       Above: Maanshan City, Anhui Province. Captain of the fishery law enforcement team conducts routine river patrol. Photo by Qiu Qiyuan, journalist of this publication.

Middle: On May 11, 2023, monitoring staff from the Yangtze River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau collected benthic animal samples in the Hannan Reach, Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Bottom: On May 15, 2023, in the laboratory of the Yangtze River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau, monitoring personnel identified the collected benthic animal samples.

In 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the findings of the scientific survey on Yangtze finless porpoises conducted in the previous year, recording a population of 1,249 individuals. This marked the first historic halt to decline and rebound of the Yangtze finless porpoise population after over 30 years of rapid shrinkage since complete statistical records became available in the early 1990s.

As predators at the top of the food chain, the survival status of finless porpoises directly reflects changes in fish abundance and populations. Known as the "indicator" of the Yangtze River’s ecological quality, they are listed as an independent indicator in the Detailed Rules for Scoring Aquatic Ecological Assessment Indicators of the Yangtze River Basin (Trial).

There is indeed a notable increase in fish stocks in the Yangtze River, which is the most intuitive observation made by monitoring staff over recent years. "We can now catch silver and bighead carp weighing over 10 kilograms with fishing gear, which was rarely seen before."

Maanshan City is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with a 36-kilometer river section, 79 kilometers of shoreline and a drainage area of 4,049 square kilometers. Statistics show that by 2023, the fish population size and resource density in the Maanshan reach of the Yangtze River were 1.5 times and 2 times those before the fishing ban respectively, and the population of Yangtze coilia ectenes (yangtze grenadier anchovy) recovered to four times the pre-ban level. In 2023, a total of 37 groups of finless porpoises, amounting to 86 individuals, were spotted in the Maanshan river section.

"The knifejaw anchovy has a small mouth and feeds on plankton. Its growing population demonstrates the recovery of plankton communities in the Yangtze River. As a link in the food chain, the anchovy also serves as one of the food sources for finless porpoises," Cui Shengxia, Captain of the 1st Brigade of Maanshan Fishery Law Enforcement Detachment, told China Newsweek.

May 1, 2025, Gezhouba Dam, Yangtze River, Yichang, Hubei. Finless porpoises playing and foraging.

In addition, the diversity of fish species is also increasing. Liu Huanzhang, researcher with the Fish Ecology and Conservation Research Group of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, pointed out to China Newsweek that fishing pressure once caused severe fish "miniaturization": within the same species, large adult fish were almost all caught, leaving only small juveniles; in the overall fish community, large fish species were on the verge of disappearance while small-sized species became dominant.

The situation has changed. Chen Yelin, Deputy Captain of the 4th Brigade of Wuhan Agricultural Comprehensive Law Enforcement Detachment, told China Newsweek that four aquatic biological resource monitoring surveys have been carried out in the Wuhan Reach of the Yangtze River since November 2023. A total of 35 fish species were captured during the 2023 monitoring, while 48 species were recorded in both 2024 and 2025. Before the fishing ban, species such as the ochetobius and longjaw tapertail anchovy were rarely found in the Wuhan river section, yet their frequency in catch samples has risen markedly in recent years.

The recovery of fish resources in these two cities serves as a microcosm of the whole Yangtze River. In July this year, the Bulletin on the Status of Aquatic Biological Resources and Habitats in the Yangtze River Basin (2024) (hereinafter referred to as the Bulletin), jointly released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Ministry of Transport, showed that the recovery trend of aquatic biological resources in the Yangtze River Basin is generally positive. In 2024, the unit resource abundance in the main stream of the Yangtze River rose by 9.5% compared with 2023. The egg and fry resources of the four major domestic carps (black carp, grass carp, silver carp and bighead carp) at the Jianli section in the middle Yangtze River reached 6.2 times the pre-ban level.

Above: On April 25, 2023, four ex-situ conserved Yangtze finless porpoises from the Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow of the Yangtze River were successfully released in batches into the Xinluo and Shishou reaches of the main Yangtze River.

Below: Ochetobius fish at the Four Major Domestic Carps Original Breeding Farm of the Yangtze River in Ruichang City, Jiangxi Province. Photo: Xinhua, Visual China

In terms of species diversity, a total of 344 native fish species were monitored in the Yangtze River Basin from 2021 to 2024, an increase of 36 species compared with the pre-fishing-ban period (2017–2020). For key protected species, two Class II national protected species, Rhinogobio ventralis and Leptobotia rubrilabris, were newly recorded. The distribution range of Yangtze finless porpoises continues to expand, and their patchy distribution has been alleviated.

Wang Kexiong, researcher with the Cetacean Conservation Biology Research Group of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told China Newsweek that before the fishing ban, fishing activities and finless porpoises competed for limited fish resources. Their habitats overlapped, and porpoises were often accidentally injured by fishing gear. After the ban, fish stocks have grown. Finless porpoises can find food more easily, face lower risks of harm from fishing operations and have larger living spaces, making them more frequently spotted by the public.

"When judging whether the Yangtze River ecosystem is healthy, the finless porpoise is our barometer. With the rebound of the porpoise population, people now recognize that the Yangtze River’s ecological environment is indeed improving," said Wang Kexiong.

How to Stay One Step Ahead in Enforcing the Fishing Ban?

Walking along the covered bridge of the Maanshan Fishery Law Enforcement Base, the red characters "Yangtze River Fishing Ban Benefits the Nation and the People" come into view. This is the daily workplace for fishery law enforcement officers. Inside the pontoon, surveillance feeds from key sites along the Yangtze River are clearly displayed on electronic screens. Outside the pontoon, law enforcement vessels marked with "China Fishery Administration" carry out irregular patrols every day.

"We are currently equipped with 86 high-definition optoelectronic cameras, 8 small-target radars, 2 night vision devices and 8 UAVs. Law enforcement officers work on a 7×24-hour duty roster. Any illegal clues detected will trigger an immediate vessel dispatch," Qin Jiale, Deputy Captain of the Maanshan Fishery Law Enforcement Detachment, told China Newsweek.

Today, large dark fish can often be seen swimming slowly near the bank beside the pontoon, and fish occasionally leap out of the water. Such scenes were unthinkable before the fishing ban. Liu Wei, Deputy Director of Maanshan Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, told China Newsweek that before the full fishing ban, years of overfishing caused a sharp decline in commercial fish stocks including the four major domestic carps, grenadier anchovies and eels, and fish runs could hardly form. Fishermen caught fewer and smaller fish, and their income kept shrinking.

Nov 23, 2022: Water patrol jointly conducted by Tongzhou public security and fishery authorities, Nantong, Jiangsu. Photo: Xinhua

Cui Shengxia stated that starting from 2003, Maanshan enforced a regional fishing ban every year from April to June. However, a three-month ban was far from sufficient to restore fishery resources.

A full fishing ban became imperative. In May 2019, one and a half years ahead of the Yangtze River-wide fishing ban, Maanshan began dismantling fishing vessels and implementing fishing cessation and fishermen relocation.

Xia Dejun, Deputy Director of the Aquatic Technology Service Center of Maanshan Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, participated in law enforcement work in the early stage of the fishing ban. He told China Newsweek that the process was not easy. "Fishermen had relied on fishing for generations and were accustomed to living on boats. Some could not fall asleep without the rocking of water beneath them. Therefore, fishermen were resistant at the beginning of this initiative."

Xia Dejun recalled that after local fishing boats were dismantled, some fishermen bought old vessels from other cities, hid them under docks and engaged in illegal night fishing. "The docks were too low for law enforcement boats to enter. We had to take off our clothes, wade into the water and drag the boats out one by one."

Due to insufficient manpower and equipment in the early phase, Xia Dejun and other law enforcement officers strengthened patrols by adopting irregular working schedules. "We set out for inspections at dawn, again after dark, and even on holidays."

To address the resettlement of fishermen exiting fishing industry, Maanshan issued documents including the Detailed Implementation Rules for Resettlement and Support Policies for Fishermen Exiting Fishing Industry in Maanshan City. The documents specify subsidies such as social security and medical insurance for fishermen switching to other livelihoods, ensuring they have housing, jobs, school access for their children and social insurance after moving ashore. In 2019, all 10,757 fishermen in Maanshan moved ashore.

May 12, 2023: Monitoring staff collect benthic animal samples at Chibi Reach, Hubei. Yangtze River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau. Photo: Xinhua

Xia Dejun said that with policy support and coordinated fishery law enforcement, illegal fishing activities were basically curbed by the second half of 2020. From 2020 to August 2025, Maanshan handled 1,544 fishery-related cases, removed 162 unregistered vessels and seized 1,676 pieces of illegal fishing gear.

At a press conference on the Yangtze River fishing ban held by the State Council Information Office in 2024, it was disclosed that in the three years since the ban took effect, agricultural and rural authorities and public security organs at all levels handled more than 1,600 administrative cases and over 500 criminal cases related to fishery violations per month, while market supervision departments dealt with more than 300 relevant cases monthly, maintaining a tough crackdown on illegal fishing.

All regions have adopted a "package of measures" to combat illegal fishing, and an enforcement system combining human surveillance and technical monitoring, as well as specialized management and public participation, has initially taken shape along the Yangtze River. The press conference also revealed that the number of licensed fishery law enforcement officers in riverside areas reached 10,400, four times the figure before the full fishing ban. The Bright River Project is being implemented, with video surveillance equipment basically covering the main stream of the Yangtze River, the Yangtze River Estuary and key waters such as Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake. Reports of illegal fishing from the public dropped by 28% year-on-year in 2023, and the frequent occurrence of illegal fishing has been effectively contained.

Nevertheless, law enforcement officers including Qin Jiale found that although illegal fishing has been largely suppressed, challenges remain on the Yangtze. Unauthorized angling has become the primary contradiction in the later stage of the fishing ban.

"Maanshan has a population of over 2 million. If one out of every 100 people is an angler, that makes 20,000 fishing enthusiasts. The fishery resources in the Maanshan reach of the Yangtze River have recovered remarkably, and the catch taken by these 20,000 anglers every day cannot be underestimated," said Cui Shengxia. Unauthorized anglers come from diverse backgrounds with different purposes. Some fish for recreation, while others engage in illegal fishing and fish sales, posing higher requirements for supervision.

In addition, Qin Jiale mentioned: "Unauthorized angling has become more concealed, mobile and technology-driven. Anglers use high-tech gear such as unmanned boats and underwater visual fishing rods, and even UAVs for assistance. Most violations occur late at night in remote waters with complex terrain, making evidence collection and case investigation extremely difficult."

Similar problems exist in Wuhan in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. "The legal cost for anchor fishing and unauthorized angling is low. Fishing gear is often worth less than 100 yuan, while the corresponding law enforcement cost remains high," Deng Xu, Section 4 Staff Member of the Office of the Leading Group for Fishing Ban and Fishermen Relocation in Key Waters of the Yangtze River Basin in Wuhan, told China Newsweek.

Therefore, technical monitoring capacity needs continuous enhancement. Deng Xu noted that Wuhan is leveraging AI neural network video analysis algorithms to automatically identify, issue early warnings and collect evidence for unauthorized angling and other violations. "For example, the movements of anchor fishing differ from ordinary angling; offenders perform powerful dragging motions. Currently, the AI recognition accuracy for such actions exceeds 90%. The system pushes video footage to law enforcement officers at the fishery command center for manual verification while securing evidence."

In May 2023, an anchor fishing incident at the confluence of the Fuhe River on the north bank of Wuhan was automatically detected by the "Yangtze River 04" camera, which spans 3,000 meters across the Yangtze River at the Qingshan River Beach on the south bank. The angler was intercepted by law enforcement officers while fleeing on an electric scooter.

Furthermore, the legal safeguards for fishery law enforcement are being refined. Chen Yelin stated that laws and regulations including the Yangtze River Protection Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Protection and Administration of Aquatic Organisms in the Yangtze River provide solid legal support for frontline law enforcement after the fishing ban. However, some ambiguities remain in the application of existing laws, such as the penalty standard for violations involving small catches, the catch threshold for criminal liability, and the definitions of "productive fishing" and "productive angling", all of which require further clarification.

The revision of the Fisheries Law of the People's Republic of China was initiated in December 2024. Chen Yelin noticed that the draft revision puts forward new ideas including traceability of aquatic products, permitted fishing gear catalogs, and governance of unregistered fishery vessels. "The revised Fisheries Law will deliver stronger legal backing for fishery law enforcement," Chen Yelin said.

Changing the Fragmented "Nine Dragons Governing Water" Governance Model

"Even if you release 100 fish into a patch of black and odorous water, they will not survive. Therefore, the recovery of fish and other aquatic organisms relies on far more than just a fishing ban. The national conservation strategy for the Yangtze River ecosystem adopts an integrated policy," emphasized Xu Jun, researcher with the Ecosystem Ecology Research Group of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to China Newsweek.

The Opinion of the General Office of the State Council on Strengthening the Conservation of Aquatic Organisms in the Yangtze River, issued in 2018, also pointed out that the continuous decline of Yangtze River biodiversity over decades stemmed from combined human impacts including dams, water pollution, overfishing, waterway regulation, hardened bank slopes, sand excavation and quarrying. The current recovery of fish and aquatic organisms in the Yangtze River is an outcome of systematic governance involving multiple government departments and policies.

Afternoon of April 7, 2024, Yichang, Hubei. Visitors watch finless porpoises frolicking in the Yangtze River. Photo: Visual China

Previously, Yangtze River conservation was trapped in the predicament of the "Nine Dragons Governing Water" fragmented governance model. Wang Shuyi, Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of the Institute of Environmental Law at Wuhan University and Vice President of the China Society of Environmental and Resources Law, once stated that there was an old saying in water pollution control circles: "Environmental protection authorities do not go to rivers; water conservancy authorities do not manage shorelands." "Water-related issues are complex and involve departments such as ecology and environment, agriculture and rural affairs, and natural resources. Back then, departments lacked sufficient coordination when problems arose, and there were even cases of buck-passing."

Years ago, a Xinhua report titled Why "Nine Dragons Governing Water" Failed to Halt the Deterioration of Yangtze River Water Quality also pointed out that although the "Nine Dragons Governing Water" mechanism ostensibly pooled resources from numerous departments, it failed to achieve the goal of "united river governance". Instead, it objectively encouraged local governments and functional departments to adopt a divide-and-rule approach toward certain functions of Yangtze water resources based on partial interests and single objectives.

Today, the situation has changed.

Xuejiawa lies on the east bank of the Yangtze River in Maanshan City, at the intersection of riverside ecological zones, port areas and the Maanshan Iron & Steel industrial zone. It was once a gathering spot for fishing activities, unregulated polluting enterprises, illegal docks and livestock breeding sites, and was known among local residents as a place plagued by all kinds of pollution.

"When you stepped on the ground, your shoes would sink straight into dust. After rain, water would pool here and flow as sewage directly into the Yangtze River," recalled Hu Wei, Deputy Director of Maanshan Bureau of Ecology and Environment, to China Newsweek. Entangled by various ecological problems, this area offered no viable habitat for fish. Qin Jiale, who grew up beside the Yangtze River, said that when he was young, any fish with a tarry taste was definitely caught from the Yangtze.

The comprehensive ecological restoration of the Yangtze River in Maanshan started at Xuejiawa and gradually extended along the 79-kilometer shoreline. Departments in Maanshan work with clear division of responsibilities under a governance philosophy of integrated management of water resources, aquatic ecosystems and water environment: The ecology and environment department controls pollutant sources and improves water quality through section-based water monitoring, refined management, supervision of key pollution sources and environmental law enforcement. The water conservancy department strengthens shoreline restoration and secures water resources by managing river channels and shorelines and operating water conservancy facilities. The agriculture and rural affairs department takes charge of the 10-year Yangtze fishing ban to restore aquatic biodiversity and reduce agricultural non-point source pollution by tackling pollution from livestock and aquaculture.

March 28, 2024: Over 200,000 second filial generation Chinese sturgeons released at Yangtze rare fish release site, Yichang, Hubei. Photo: CNS

"Pollutant discharge control and shoreline management are source control measures that cut off the 'toxic sources' entering the Yangtze River, improve water quality and create living conditions for the recovery of aquatic organisms. The return of aquatic organisms serves as the ultimate indicator to assess Yangtze River governance. Improved biodiversity can also consolidate conservation achievements and build an ecosystem with a virtuous cycle," Zuo Nianwen, Vice Mayor of Maanshan City, told China Newsweek.

Shifting from fragmented governance by separate departments to coordinated joint governance, inter-departmental coordination mechanisms are particularly vital. The Yangtze River Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, which officially took effect in 2021, stipulates that the state shall establish a coordination mechanism for the Yangtze River Basin to uniformly guide and coordinate Yangtze River conservation work, review major policies and plans for Yangtze River protection, coordinate major cross-regional and cross-departmental matters, and supervise and inspect the implementation of key conservation tasks. Local authorities in the Yangtze River Basin may set up coordination mechanisms as needed in formulating local regulations and government rules, compiling plans, conducting supervision and law enforcement, and jointly promote the ecological protection and restoration of the Yangtze River Basin.

This year, the Wuhan Fishery Ban Office issued the Municipal Implementation Mechanism for the 10-Year Yangtze River Fishing Ban, further defining the responsibilities of 18 relevant authorities including the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Public Security Bureau, Administration for Market Regulation, and Human Resources and Social Security Bureau for fishing ban and fishermen relocation work.

"The Wuhan Branch of the Yangtze River Shipping Public Security Bureau and Wuhan Maritime Safety Administration are vertically administered agencies. However, thanks to our close cooperation, they have been incorporated into the implementation mechanism to jointly carry out special campaigns against illegal fishing together with the municipal Fishery Ban Office," said Deng Xu.

From his work over recent years, Xu Jun has observed that all relevant departments now view the Yangtze River as an integrated whole, and the comprehensive protection of the Yangtze River has become a shared goal. "Apart from their own administrative mandates, all departments have a clear understanding of each other’s responsibilities, and communication channels are available for coordination."

Hukou, Jiujiang, Jiangxi: Over 100 fish species such as sturgeon, Chinese sucker, golden mahseer and archerfish exhibited at Freshwater Fish Exhibition Hall, Yangtze-Poyang Lake Aquatic Organism Conservation Center. Photo: Xinhua

In Xu Jun’s view, the achievements in aquatic organism recovery in recent years demonstrate that the Yangtze River still retains its ecological resilience. “Although the Yangtze River has suffered decades of human disturbance, ecological damage has not erased all components of its ecosystem. Once anthropogenic pressure eases, the river can rehabilitate itself relying on natural forces.”

Nevertheless, the Bulletin notes that fish stocks and biodiversity in the natural waters of the Yangtze River are still in a slow recovery phase, and the Index of Biotic Integrity of aquatic organisms remains at a "poor" level.

Experts interpreting the results also stated that the increase in fish numbers is only observed in partial waters and cannot be taken as evidence of full restoration of aquatic biodiversity across the entire Yangtze River Basin. The recovery of rare, endangered flagship species such as the Chinese sturgeon and Yangtze sturgeon remains slow. While 36 native fish species have been newly recorded since the fishing ban, another 99 historically recorded fish species have not been detected. The conservation situation for aquatic organisms in the Yangtze River remains severe.

Liu Huanzhang pointed out that after the fishing ban, habitat degradation caused by hydropower development, water pollution, river-lake disconnection and other issues persists, weakening the conservation outcomes for Yangtze aquatic biodiversity. “For instance, some water conservancy and hydropower projects block fish migration routes, alter river hydrological regimes, cause lagged temperature changes in discharged water, reduce the area of lotic habitats, affect fish spawning and habitation, and reshape fish community structures upstream and downstream.”

He suggested that future efforts should strengthen habitat restoration for Yangtze aquatic organisms, including better protection of natural river reaches in the main stream, classified rectification of unregulated small hydropower stations on tributaries, and ecological restoration in selected representative tributaries and lakes to re-establish connectivity between rivers and lakes.

For example, to mitigate adverse impacts from hydropower development on tributaries, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces have carried out cleanup and rectification of small hydropower stations in the Chishui River Basin since September 2020. By the end of December 2022, a total of 270 small hydropower stations were demolished in the basin, accounting for 72.4% of all local small hydropower facilities. The downstream reaches of primary tributaries including the Datong River, Gulin River, Yanjing River, Baisha River, Baohe River and Tongche River have basically regained natural connectivity.

Wang Kexiong said that while prey resources for finless porpoises have recovered after the fishing ban, underwater noise generated by Yangtze River shipping poses a growing threat to porpoise habitats and survival. “Finless porpoises are highly sensitive to underwater noise. Noise interferes with their navigation, communication and foraging. Calves may fail to hear their mothers’ calls, which easily leads to stranding and hinders effective population recovery and habitat quality improvement.”

Wang Kexiong proposed that for river sections with sandbars, alternating navigable and non-navigable zones should be set aside to serve as refuges and habitats for porpoises, or shipping disturbance to porpoises should be minimized as much as possible. “For example, vessel traffic density near the Gezhouba Dam ship locks is high, yet finless porpoises are now found close to the lock gates. This is because vessels pass slowly, one at a time in single file without sailing side by side. Over time, porpoises grow accustomed to this relatively low noise level and do not get frightened. Human activities and aquatic organisms can in fact coexist.”

In addition, Liu Huanzhang mentioned that a comprehensive inventory of aquatic biological resources in the Yangtze River is underway.

To address this requirement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched the Yangtze River Fishery Resources and Environment Survey (2017–2021), led by the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences. The survey systematically investigated seven themes in key waters of the Yangtze River Basin: fish species composition and distribution, fish stock abundance, endangered fish species, Yangtze finless porpoises, fishery ecological environment, riparian drawdown zones, capture fisheries and recreational fisheries.

“But this only paints a general picture of the whole Yangtze,” Liu Huanzhang commented. Fish population recovery is affected by multiple factors, including the degree of population damage, species life history and climate change. Therefore, comprehensive research on the biological characteristics of relevant fish species and regional management features is needed to deliver effective sustainable development plans for fishery resources under different regional and ecological conditions. “Future baseline surveys of aquatic organisms should target specific waters and individual species, studying their life history, catch volumes and stock enhancement release volumes. Only with such fine-grained data can management be truly effective.”

“Phased achievements have been made under the fishing ban, yet much work remains ahead,” Liu Huanzhang believes. Even when the 10-year ban expires, relevant policies should be maintained long-term. “Fish resources have rebounded, but rare species recover slowly. If fishing is reopened, recovery of rare species will be extremely difficult.”

Published on Oct 27, 2025, Issue No.1209 of China NewsweekMagazine Title: Mid-term Assessment of the Yangtze River Fishing Ban Reporter: Qiu Qiyuan (2468108277@qq.com) Editor: Xu Tian Special Statement: This article was uploaded and published by an author on NetEase’s self-media platform NetEase Hao. It only represents the author’s views. NetEase merely provides the content publishing platform.