The 14th Five-Year Plan from 2021 to 2025, adopted at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress on Thursday, lists a 10-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River as one of the outlines for future development.

The 10-year fishing ban was implemented starting from January 1, 2021, during which productive fishing of natural fishery resources is prohibited in the natural waters along the river's main stream and important tributaries, aiming for the promotion of green development along the Yangtze River Economic Belt. 

"A total ban on fishing has been launched. To effectively protect rare and endemic species in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the most fundamental thing is to restore and protect suitable habitats and reduce the adverse impact of human production and living. We should coordinate from the big environmental protection aspect and restore the ecological environment of the water area," said Wang Hongling, a member of CPPCC.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as of February 10, 2021, a total of 111,000 fishing boats, involving 231,000 fishermen, were withdrawn from the Yangtze River after the 10-year fishing ban took effect.

"Banning fishing is not only a measure to protect fish, but also a matter of restoring the ecology of the Yangtze River and protecting natural resources, which is related to sustainable development," said Cao Wenxuan, an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences who was the first person to advocate the fishing ban.

(Cover image via VCG)

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