Yangtze River 10-Year Fishing Ban Brings New Hope to China’s Mother River長江十年禁漁，中華母親河重現生機

遲早

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.”

長江西起冰川覆蓋的青藏高原，在富庶的長江三角洲注入東海，蜿蜒長河串起沿線各地迥異的風景和文化，堪稱中國的心臟與靈魂。宋朝（960—1279）著名詩人范仲淹在其代表作《岳陽樓記》中有云：“錦鱗游泳……漁歌互答，此樂何極”，生動描述了長江的壯美與生命力。

千年后的今天，受過度捕撈和水域污染等人類活動影響，這條曾生機勃勃的河流里，生物資源正日漸枯竭，生物多樣性逐漸衰退。

為阻止長江生態進一步惡化，中國政府于2020年1月頒布了史無前例的10年禁漁令，范圍覆蓋長江流域332個保護區。

中國科學院院士曹文宣指出：“自2003年開始，我國就出于保護目的在長江流域實行每年三個月的禁漁期，但效果不顯著。新頒布的禁漁令長達十年，力度之大前所未有，對恢復長江受損的生態系統至關重要，有望促進自然資源可持續性利用。”

“長江女神”的悲劇命運

千百年來，白鰭豚被長江流域的漁民和船夫視為保護神。這種美麗的動物出現在無數典籍和文學作品中，其優美的身姿深受國人喜愛。但最近幾十年，由于水質污染、無節制捕撈、與船只意外相撞等諸多原因，白鰭豚的悲劇命運似無可避免——2007年，白鰭豚被宣布“功能性滅絕”。

但白鰭豚并非唯一受人類活動影響導致滅絕的水生物種。白鱘作為地球上體型最大的淡水魚類之一，是長江水系的特有魚種，已于2020年1月宣布滅絕;還有很多與白鰭豚生活在同一水域、但受關注度較少的生物——例如江豚——現在也面臨滅絕危機。

據統計，長江中的魚類有424種，其中特有魚類183種，所擁有的淡水魚種類占全國所有淡水魚種類的33%。專家指出，長江生態保護刻不容緩，否則更多生物將遭遇白鰭豚的命運，導致我國生物多樣性嚴重受損。

南京江豚保護協會秘書長姜盟表示：“白鰭豚的滅絕刺痛了中國人的集體良知。長江中其他魚類的命運是整條河流生態系統健康狀況的一面鏡子，所以這場危機也是我們自己的危機?！?/p>

在這種緊迫形勢下，保護長江生態環境——而非大規模開發——成為我國河流發展計劃的重中之重。

姜盟說：“為取締過度捕撈及環境污染行為，政府采取了各項舉措，長江水質已在逐漸恢復。十年禁漁令也許不夠及時，但必然能挽救長江?！?/p>

與長江和諧共存

漁民世代在江上生存勞作，十年之久的禁漁令使他們中大多數人的生活發生巨變——不過，是變得更好。

據統計，長江雖是世界第三長河，其淡水水產品的產量卻僅占全國的0.32%;20世紀50年代，長江年均捕撈量超過42萬噸，但過去幾年已降至不足10萬噸。

曹文宣指出：“長江的生態越捕越糟，漁民越捕越窮，這是個惡性循環。”

新頒布的禁漁令為漁民提供了新機遇。以前他們打魚為生，現在各地政府為他們開設了焊接、計算機操作、水產養殖等培訓課程，助其在工廠找到新工作或自主創業;對于部分不愿意上岸的漁民，政府為他們量身定制了一個新工種：江上巡護員。

漁民鄭來根是安徽銅陵人，出生44年來一直在船上生活。退捕上岸后，得益于自己多年打魚經驗獲得的水產行業專長，創辦了一家漁場，水塘面積約13公頃，養殖螃蟹、魚、蝦等水產品。

他現在的事業很紅火，年收入約有30萬人民幣，夏天旺季的時候，需要雇用4個幫工。

和鄭來根不同，另一位銅陵人朱長宏攜妻子仍倚河而居。

在政府幫助下，他們夫妻倆加入一支清漂隊，負責清理江面漂浮垃圾，并報告目擊到的江豚蹤跡，月收入5000元人民幣（約720美元）?，F在他倆每天平均巡視10—15公里的水域，忙的時候能撈起多達200公斤垃圾。

朱長宏很享受現在與長江的這種和諧共處，又說多虧國家采取的得力保護措施，長江生態得以逐漸恢復，江域已出現越來越多的魚類和鳥類。

他說：“巡江時再次看到了江豚，這讓我回想起童年時的情景。能為保護這些江中天使出一份力，我覺得很榮幸。”