A scientific investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2022 showed that the number of Yangtze finless porpoises has reached 1,249, up 23.42 percent from five years ago, according to a press conference held on Tuesday.

Ma Yi, an official with the ministry, attributed the increase to the 10-year fishing ban in the key waters of China's Yangtze River which was imposed in 2021 with the aim of ecological conservation.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is known as the "giant panda of the water." It is a barometer of the ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin. The porpoise is the only freshwater porpoise in the world, and can only be found in China's Yangtze River. As the animals were threatened by pollution, habitat loss and other factors, the population had declined and the species became critically endangered, according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).

Other aquatic bioresources in the key waters of the Yangtze River have also seen a recovery. In 2022, 193 varieties of fish were spotted in the area, marking an increase of 25 varieties from 2020.

By the end of 2022, China had channeled over 26.9 billion yuan (about $3.87 billion) to support fishermen after they gave up using nets and boats on the Yangtze River, Ma said.

During this period, more than 160,000 fishermen have started their own businesses or have transitioned into other occupations, while approximately 220,000 fishermen have received coverage under the country's basic old-age insurance, he added.

The aquatic biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin is still relatively low, said Ma, emphasizing the need for increased efforts to implement the fishing ban and to carry out systematic protection measures for aquatic species in the area.

(With input from Xinhua. Cover image: A Yangtze finless porpoise jumps out of the water in Yichang City of central China's Hubei Province./CFP)

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