Administrative measures help rare fish species to repopulate in Chongqing

Rare and endangered fish species such as the Yangtze sturgeon, a fish under first-class state protection in China, are being discovered more frequently in the Chongqing section of the Yangtze River than they did two years ago, according to a report released by the municipal government on Wednesday.

The report says biodiversity in the area has showed early signs of recovery regarding the 133 local fish species which have been monitored in the Yangtze River basin in the city. The number of rare fish species and total resources have increased.

On Jan 1, 2021, a 10-year fishing ban was launched in pivotal waters of the Yangtze River to increase the populations of aquatic creatures.

Later that year, in July, Chongqing issued detailed rules to the ban involving specific areas and time limits, as well as fishing behaviors, management and legal responsibilities, in an effort to further replenish the biodiversity of the Yangtze.

As of June this year, the city has dealt with a total of 3,465 administrative fishing cases, 1,206 of which are criminal. A total of 2,390 suspects and 198 criminal gangs with more than 7,200 kilograms of illegally caught fish have been arrested.

The number of illegal fishing cases in the Chongqing sections of the Yangtze River and its tributaries — the Jialing River and the Wujiang River(main streams) has declined significantly.

Positive progress as a result of the fish ban has been made in Chongqing, based on the above figures, local media reported.

It said technical measures including AI monitoring and a cross-regional cooperation among Chongqing and neighboring provinces of Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou have helped improve the ban's effectiveness.

In addition, more than 10,000 citywide fishermen have retired, of which over 7,000 have gone on to be re-employed by other industries. All are supported by social security funds.