Yangtze River biodiversity sees steady recovery under 10-year fishing ban: authorities

China's decade-long fishing ban has achieved phased results in restoring the ecological health of the Yangtze River -- the longest river in China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced on Friday.

At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, senior officials with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs noted that since the moratorium began in key waters of the Yangtze River basin on Jan 1, 2021, the river's ecosystem has undergone a notable transformation, with key species populations rebounding and the diversity of aquatic life showing continuous improvement.

The results of an exclusive survey in 2025 revealed that the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise has reached 1,426, an increase of 177 compared to 2022. Furthermore, the scale of Chinese sturgeon releases has exceeded one million for two consecutive years, while successful natural spawning for the Yangtze sturgeon has marked a critical step in rebuilding wildlife populations in the Yangtze River system.

"From 2021 to 2025, a total of 351 fish species were identified in our monitoring in the Yangtze River basin, an increase of 43 species compared to the period before the fishing ban. The trend of fish species shrinking in the Yangtze River has been effectively curbed, and the aquatic biological integrity index has improved significantly," said Zhang Zhili, vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at the press conference.

The ministry also highlighted the stable order maintained through rigorous law enforcement over the past five years. By dismantling illegal "fishing, transport, and sales" chains, authorities have effectively deterred poaching, with reported violations showing a downward trend.

At the same time, the government has focused on the social welfare of 231,000 former fishermen who relinquished their nets. Pension coverage has been secured for all eligible individuals, while those with the ability and desire to work have successfully transitioned to new employment.

For former fishermen facing sudden financial hardship, the government has rolled out targeted assistance measures, including their inclusion in the minimum living security system and anti-poverty monitoring, to ensure their basic livelihoods and stable incomes.

Yangtze River biodiversity sees steady recovery under 10-year fishing ban: authorities

At least one person has died and several others have been hospitalized after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Maluku Strait early on Thursday morning, with the quake also causing varying degrees of damage to multiple buildings in Manado, the capital city of the North Sulawesi province. The quake struck at 06:48 local time Thursday at a magnitude of 7.4 and a depth of 30 kilometers, according to measurements by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

There were scenes of panic outside a hospital in Manado when the quake hit, with several seconds of intense shaking causing cracks to appear in the building of the medical facility which belongs to the Siloam private healthcare group.

Patients and medical staff were urgently evacuated to the roadside, with some seen in wheelchairs or still connected to intravenous (IV) drips, while others were even pushed out of the wards on their hospital beds. A car parked downstairs was hit by falling debris, shattering its windows.

"Some people were sleeping at the time, some had just undergone surgery, and others were receiving treatment. The earthquake damaged the hospital's ceiling, and I also saw some cracks in the walls," said Billy Lombok, the family member of a patient.

A tsunami warning was issued but later lifted following the quake as Indonesian authorities observed no significant sea level changes.

Patients rushed out from hospital building as 7.4-magnitude quake hits Indonesia, killing one