Illegal fishing curbed

Relevant authorities at different levels have come down hard and are maintaining intense pressure on illegal fishing since the moratorium came into effect, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Over the past 3 years, agricultural and rural authorities and public security organs at different levels have handled over 1,600 administrative cases and more than 500 criminal cases related to fishing, it said.

On average, it said different levels of administration for market regulation handled more than 300 relevant cases every month.

The ministry also noted significantly strengthened law enforcement capabilities have been used to ensure the full implementation of the moratorium.

The number of licensed fishery law enforcement officers in regions along the Yangtze has reached 10,400, four times more than before the moratorium, it said, adding all key waters in the mainstream of the Yangtze, its estuary and Poyang and Dongting lakes have been covered by surveillance cameras.

"In 2023, the number of reports from the public about illegal fishing decreased by 28 percent compared to the previous year. The trend of frequent incidents of illegal fishing has been effectively curbed," it said.

To enhance the conservation of fish, especially endangered species, many projects previously built along the country's longest watercourse have been relocated.