Supported the livelihoods of locacals. More than 270,000 people in the area make their living fishing. But many of them are now facing a serious crisis. By the end of 2020, fishing here will be banned completely. A Chinese Government policy has restricted industrial fishing in the Yangtze River and its main tributaries for at least ten years. The fishing ban was put in place due t to overfishing and Water Pollution caused by y economic develelopment. The catch here has shrunk here to onefifth what it was in the 1950s. And more than 90 aquatic species are now at risk of extinction. The finless porpoise is one of them. Standing at the top of the food change in the Yangtze River, this species is symbolic of the Natural Environment there. 30 years ago, 2,700 finless porpoises lived in the water. Now, only around a third of that number remain. Local fishermen are desperately searching for a new way to make ends meet. The fishermen are caught between saving the environment and saving themselves. This episode depicts their struggles to go on coexisting with the mother river of china. This province is midstream of the Yangtze River. Some 50 kilometers upstream from the capital is this county, an area renowned since ancient times for its fishing. However, many local fishermen have left the area to work in the city. The reason was the local governments ban on fishing enacted in 2018. A year and a half since the ban, fishing boats remain untouched along the river. This man spent 8,400 u. S. Dollars to perfeurchase a fishi boat ten years ago. He and his father, a skilled fisherman, once brought in more fish than any other household. The local government provided compensation to fishermen who lost income due to the ban. He received 85 a a month for aperia periodod of nine months. But the payouts stopped in 2019. Local government Officials Say that they will assess the value of fishing boats and provide additional compensation. But fishermen have no idea when that might be. He often reminisces by watching his old fishing videos. With no income to speak of, he scrapes by while borrowing money. Although many others leave town to work in the city, he has no choice but to stay. His mother is paralyzed over half her body due to a stroke. His father also suffered a stroke two years ago while fishing. And lost mobility in his legs. His younger sister works in another city and sometimes helps take care of them. But he serves as the main caretaker. Tired of living in poverty and looking at her inlaws, his wife left home last year with their 3yearold son. Today, he visited a former fisherman living nearby. This man is a local leader to whom many fishermen go to help. He makes good use of his contacts to introduce them to jobs outside the fishing industry. He has lived here for more than 40 years working as a fisherman. Since the fishing ban, he has watched many of his acquaintances leave town seeking work. He launched an organization with other fishermen who have lost their jobs. It its a Conservation Association. Finless porpoises are Marine Mammals that inhabit the waters around asia. Only in the Yangtze River have they adapted to fresh water. With their population reduces to 1,000, they are classified at as vulnerable. The association regularly patrols the Yangtze River by boat. They use their knowledge and experience as fishermen to search out and study the porpoises. They also report Illegal Fishing operations. His goal is to turn the preservation of finless porpoises, regarded a as symbol of the yangtztze, into newevenue for out o of work fishermen. 20 years ago, when he was still active in fishing, he took part in a study of the porpoises led by a National Research institute. He earned around 4 a day for the work. He says it was decent pay for the time. If the associations activities gain government approval as public work, they will obtain funding for their conservation efforts. With that in mind, the association made their own flags and uniforms. He paid out of pocket to cover the costs. He has already used 10,000 from his savings. But he has yet to hear back from the local government. This province is adjacent to the area. A statebacked preservation project for finless porpoises is conducted here. A 200,000 square meter reserve has been made by enclosing part of this Yangtze River tributary. This is a River Dolphin nation reserve. They have been studying how to breed finless porpoises in as close to their natural habitat as possible. Breeding the animals is a challenging task. Their pregnancy lasts 11 months, and they can carry just one baby at a time. The porpoises can only give birth once every two years. Over 18 years of work, the number of finless porpoises kept here has managed to grow from four to 11. There are now ten sanctuaries for the porpoises along the Yangtze River. The porpoise reserves plan to continue breeding them so that they can eventually be released into the river. One executive has long studied the species of the Yangtze River and worked toward their conservation. This area is scattered with small fishing villages, some 200 people once fished here. Many people continue to live on their boats even after the ban. One couple has obtained a new form of work outside of fishing. This man and his wife made their living on the river for more than 40 years. Their new job makes use of their fishing boat and nets. They clean up garbage from the Yangtze River. The reserve hired them as sanitation staff last year. For collecting garbage on their boats twice a day, the couple earns 700 a month. The income is just as much as they had earned from fishing. But very few fishermen have succeeded in obtaining such stable work. Its no small task to change the lifestyles of fishermen who have lived with the river for decades. The Conservation Association attempts to patrol the Yangtze River. When this man launched the organization two years ago, they made their patrols twice a week. But now, with difficulty paying for fuel, they go out once a week or less. Their First Priority is to get government approval and funding. To make this happen, they need to record footage of finless porpoises to prove their Research Results. But they harardly ever manage t see the endangered species. Fishermen gather at his home. Last year, there were about 100 members. But many have since sought work elsewhere. Now, only 30 remain. Having gained few Research Results and little government attention, they are at a l losss to what to do. This man is still unable to work out of t tn because of his ailing parerents, worries about the f future of the association. The Members Trust in him has let them continue their activities this far. Although unable to continue a clear strategy, giving up now would render their past efforts all in vain. He lives with his 75yearold mother. His wife and son often travel to the city to work. While cutting his own Living Expenses and spending the money for the activities of the association, heused up all of his savings. He has his own reason for protecting finless porpoises. He is prepared to defend them, even if it means that his family life will be affected by the decision. The river means more to him than just money. He heads to a town more than 100 kilometers away. He says he can get a freight job that pays 840 a month. Three months of pay will give him enough money for his organization to patrol the yangtze for six months. The fishing ban on the Yangtze River has meant a change in the lives of countless fishshermen. They face numerouous hazards as they now struggle to swim upstream. A retreat with conditions. Protesters demand foreign troops pullout from iraq as well. Hello and welcome. Youre watchining al jazeera lie from our headquarters here in doha. Also coming up, homes in ruins, the aftermath of devastating bushfires in a straight you. Seepss prime minister