Yangtze Fishing‑Ban Results

A fishing ban(禁止) in China's Yangtze River is showing good results after about five years. A new study found that fish biomass(生物量) in the river has more than doubled. Several endangered fish species (物种) have come back.

The Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world. More than 400 million people depend on it for water and food. It is home to 194 special local species. These species cannot be found anywhere else on Earth, including the Yangtze finless porpoise. It is a special freshwater mammal(哺乳动物).

But for more than 70 years human activities have harmed the river. These activities include fishing, dam(坝) building and pollution. By 2016, fish numbers had dropped by 85%. The river’s native dolphins, called baiji, had died out.

In 2021, China started a 10-year ban on commercial(商业的) fishing. The new study shows this action has worked well. The number of Yangtze finless porpoises has risen from 445 to 595. Xiong Fangyuan, who led the study, told reporters that changes like this can lead to a brighter future.