Yangtze River 10-Year Fishing Ban Brings New Hope to China’s Mother River长江十年禁渔，中华母亲河重现生机

迟早

From the ice-covered Tibetan plateau to the glittering delta on the East China Sea， the Yangtze River connects Chinas magnificently disparate landscapes and culture， serving as the heart and soul of China. In his masterpiece Memorial to Yueyang Tower， Fan Zhongyan， a famous poet of the Song Dynasty （960—1279）， described the beauty and vitality of the river： Fish with scales like glimmering silk disport themselves in the water， and the fishermen sing to each other for sheer joy.

A millennium later， the river， once pulsating with life， is now experiencing depleting biological resources and degrading biodiversity due to human activities such as overfishing and pollution.

To prevent the deterioration of the rivers ecological situation， an unprecedented 10-year fishing moratorium was issued in January， 2020， covering 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin.

“Though China has been imposing a yearly three-month fishing ban since 2003 to protect the river， the results are not promising. The new decade-long fishing ban is crucial and unprecedented， which can restore the rivers damaged ecological system， as well as promote sustainable use of natural resources，” said Cao Wenxuan， an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The tragedy of Yangtze goddess

For thousands of years， Baiji （white-fin dolphin） was regarded as the goddess of protection by local fishermen and boatmen. The beautiful animal appeared in countless historical records and literature， worshipped by the Chinese for its elegance and beauty. However， over the past few decades， toxic waters， unsustainable fishing and collisions with shipping traffic have all sealed the Baijis fate1. In 2007， the Baiji was declared functionally extinct.

Baiji is not the only animal that was eradicated from the river by human activities. In January， the Chinese paddlefish， one of the worlds largest freshwater fish species， a native of the Yangtze River system， has been declared extinct. Many of Baijis less-storied neighbors， such as the finless porpoise， are now facing the grave danger of extinction.

According to statistics， the Yangtze River is home to 424 types of fish， of which 183 are endemic2， with the cate-gories of freshwater fish in the river comprising 33 percent of the national total. Experts noted that there is not much time left to protect the rivers ecological system before more animals follow Baijis fate， causing great loss to Chinas biodiversity.

“The extinction of the Baiji stung the collective conscience of the Chinese people. The remaining fishs fate foreshadows the health of the whole river ecosystem， so the crisis is also our own，” said Jiang Meng， secretary-general of the Nanjing Yangtze Finless Porpoise Conservation Association.

The alarming situation has made the environmental protection of the Yangtze River， rather than large-scale development， the dominant focus of Chinas river development plans.

“Official clampdowns on overfishing and polluting activities have gradually restored the water quality of the Yangtze. The ban may not be very timely， but it can surely save the river，” Jiang said.

Coexistence with the Yangtze

To most fishermen whose families have been working on the river for generations， the decade-long fishing ban have fundamentally changed their life， but for the better.

According to statistics， though being the worlds third longest river， the Yangtze now only produces 0.32 percent of Chinas total freshwater aquatic products. For the past few years， annual catch from the Yangtze has fallen to less than 100，000 tonnes from more than 420，000 tonnes in 1950s.

“Fishermen were caught in a vicious circle—the more they fish， the poorer they become because of the worsening environment，” said Cao.

The new fishing ban has provided fishermen with new opportunities. Local authorities have opened training courses on welding， computer operation and aquaculture for the ex-fishermen， helping them find new jobs in factories or start their own businesses. For those who dont want to stay ashore， a new job， river patroller， was created for their needs.

Zheng Laigen， a 44-year-old fisherman from Tongling， eastern Chinas Anhui Province， moved ashore after floating on a boat his entire life. Taking advantage of his expertise in aquatic products garnered over the years， he is now the owner of a fishing farm and manages about 13 hectares of ponds， raising crabs， shrimp and fish.

His new business was prosperous， with an annual income of about 300，000 yuan. In the peak season during the summer， he had to hire four people to help with his work.

Unlike Zheng， Zhu Changhong， who is also from Tongling， continues to live by the river with his wife in a different way.

With the help of the local government， the couple joined a patrol team to clean floating trash and report sightings of finless porpoises， a job that earns them 5，000 yuan a month （about $720）. Instead of fishing on the river， now Zhu and his wife patrol 10 to 15 km of water per day on average， collecting up to 200 kg of trash on a busy day.

According to Zhu， harmonious coexistence with the river has made him happy. He further noted that， thanks to Chinas great effort to protect the Yangtze， the river is now recovering little by little， with more fish and birds seen along the river.

“It reminds me of my childhood when I see finless porpoises again during the patrol，” Zhu said， “Its an honor to protect these angels of the Yangtze River.”

长江西起冰川覆盖的青藏高原，在富庶的长江三角洲注入东海，蜿蜒长河串起沿线各地迥异的风景和文化，堪称中国的心脏与灵魂。宋朝（960—1279）著名诗人范仲淹在其代表作《岳阳楼记》中有云：“锦鳞游泳……渔歌互答，此乐何极”，生动描述了长江的壮美与生命力。

千年后的今天，受过度捕捞和水域污染等人类活动影响，这条曾生机勃勃的河流里，生物资源正日渐枯竭，生物多样性逐渐衰退。

为阻止长江生态进一步恶化，中国政府于2020年1月颁布了史无前例的10年禁渔令，范围覆盖长江流域332个保护区。

中国科学院院士曹文宣指出：“自2003年开始，我国就出于保护目的在长江流域实行每年三个月的禁渔期，但效果不显著。新颁布的禁渔令长达十年，力度之大前所未有，对恢复长江受损的生态系统至关重要，有望促进自然资源可持续性利用。”

“长江女神”的悲剧命运

千百年来，白鳍豚被长江流域的渔民和船夫视为保护神。这种美丽的动物出现在无数典籍和文学作品中，其优美的身姿深受国人喜爱。但最近几十年，由于水质污染、无节制捕捞、与船只意外相撞等诸多原因，白鳍豚的悲剧命运似无可避免——2007年，白鳍豚被宣布“功能性灭绝”。

但白鳍豚并非唯一受人类活动影响导致灭绝的水生物种。白鲟作为地球上体型最大的淡水鱼类之一，是长江水系的特有鱼种，已于2020年1月宣布灭绝;还有很多与白鳍豚生活在同一水域、但受关注度较少的生物——例如江豚——现在也面临灭绝危机。

据统计，长江中的鱼类有424种，其中特有鱼类183种，所拥有的淡水鱼种类占全国所有淡水鱼种类的33%。专家指出，长江生态保护刻不容缓，否则更多生物将遭遇白鳍豚的命运，导致我国生物多样性严重受损。

南京江豚保护协会秘书长姜盟表示：“白鳍豚的灭绝刺痛了中国人的集体良知。长江中其他鱼类的命运是整条河流生态系统健康状况的一面镜子，所以这场危机也是我们自己的危机。”

在这种紧迫形势下，保护长江生态环境——而非大规模开发——成为我国河流发展计划的重中之重。

姜盟说：“为取缔过度捕捞及环境污染行为，政府采取了各项举措，长江水质已在逐渐恢复。十年禁渔令也许不够及时，但必然能挽救长江。”

与长江和谐共存

渔民世代在江上生存劳作，十年之久的禁渔令使他们中大多数人的生活发生巨变——不过，是变得更好。

据统计，长江虽是世界第三长河，其淡水水产品的产量却仅占全国的0.32%;20世纪50年代，长江年均捕捞量超过42万吨，但过去几年已降至不足10万吨。

曹文宣指出：“长江的生态越捕越糟，渔民越捕越穷，这是个恶性循环。”

新颁布的禁渔令为渔民提供了新机遇。以前他们打鱼为生，现在各地政府为他们开设了焊接、计算机操作、水产养殖等培训课程，助其在工厂找到新工作或自主创业;对于部分不愿意上岸的渔民，政府为他们量身定制了一个新工种：江上巡护员。

渔民郑来根是安徽铜陵人，出生44年来一直在船上生活。退捕上岸后，得益于自己多年打鱼经验获得的水产行业专长，创办了一家渔场，水塘面积约13公顷，养殖螃蟹、鱼、虾等水产品。

他现在的事业很红火，年收入约有30万人民币，夏天旺季的时候，需要雇用4个帮工。

和郑来根不同，另一位铜陵人朱长宏携妻子仍倚河而居。

在政府帮助下，他们夫妻俩加入一支清漂队，负责清理江面漂浮垃圾，并报告目击到的江豚踪迹，月收入5000元人民币（約720美元）。现在他俩每天平均巡视10—15公里的水域，忙的时候能捞起多达200公斤垃圾。

朱长宏很享受现在与长江的这种和谐共处，又说多亏国家采取的得力保护措施，长江生态得以逐渐恢复，江域已出现越来越多的鱼类和鸟类。

他说：“巡江时再次看到了江豚，这让我回想起童年时的情景。能为保护这些江中天使出一份力，我觉得很荣幸。”