China's decade-long fishing ban has led to significant progress in conserving rare and endemic fish species in the Chishui River basin, upstream of the Yangtze River, with the support of artificial breeding efforts by local researchers.
To restore the biodiversity along the river, China imposed a full fishing ban in 332 conservation areas of the Yangtze River basin in January 2020. The move has since been expanded to a 10-year moratorium along the river's main streams and major tributaries, effective January 1, 2021.
Aquatic biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin has been recovering following the launch of the fishing ban. From 2021 to 2024, 344 native fish species were monitored in the basin, an increase of 36 species compared to the 2017-2020 period, which preceded the fishing ban.
The Chishui River plays a crucial role in the ecological and environmental protection in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
According to the latest monitoring data, since the pilot fishing ban was implemented in the Chishui River basin in 2017, the number of fish species in the basin has increased from 123 to 126, with the number of rare species rising from 7 to 9. Additionally, 11 native fish species, including the Yangtze Sturgeon, eel, and red-lipped loach, which had disappeared from the basin for many years, have been discovered again following the fishing ban.
From April to October each year, it is the breeding and fattening period for fish in the basin. During this period, local researchers typically sample fish from the river and carefully record information about each fish they capture, noting its species, size, weight, and other relevant details.
"This is a rock carp, which has been classified as a wild animal species under Grade-II national protection. Before the fishing ban, it was a primary target for capture, making it quite rare to get spotted. Now, after the ban, it has essentially become a dominant species in the area, with researchers typically observing it in every sampling, and the individuals are noticeably larger compared to those before the ban," said Liu Fei, an associate researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The expansion of the fish population is attributed to both the comprehensive implementation of the fishing ban and continuous scientific intervention by researchers.
The Chishui River Rare and Endemic Fish Conservation and Aquatic Biodiversity Observation and Research Center, under the CAS, has cultivated more than 50 species of fish in its recirculating aquaculture room and breeding pools. Researchers conduct detailed observations and record daily activities, completing a series of research tasks that include the domestication of juvenile fish and the hatching of fertilized eggs.
"After achieving breakthroughs in the artificial breeding techniques for these rare and endemic fish species, we can breed juvenile fish in large quantities. We have released artificially bred fry of those rare and endemic species with small wild populations into the river, aiming to restore their populations in the wild. This approach significantly contributes to the conservation of these rare and endemic fish species," said Kong Qiuhong, an assistant engineer at the station.
10-year fishing ban effectively conserves rare fish species in Yangtze River's upstream
