CHINA / SOCIETY
Healing mother river
By Lin Xiaoyi in Yichang and Lu Yameng in Beijing Published: Apr 14, 2021 07:13 PM
A picturesque section of Yangtze river in Yichang, Central China s Hubei Province. Photo: VCGThe surface of the Yangtze, China s longest river, is still bustling, but the fishing boats have gradually disappeared. When the 10-year fishing ban began to be implemented along the Yangtze River, the mother river of the Chinese nation ushered in a historic opportunity for ecological restoration.
On January 1, 2021, a 10-year fishing moratorium in all-natural waterways along the Yangtze River came into effect, with some 231,000 fishermen surrendering nearly 111,000 boats in a dozen provincial-level regions. This fish in and people out movement eyes to not only restore the fish population in the river but also create a new life for the fishermen who head ashore.