China promises help for 300,000 people hit by Yangtze River fishing ban

Officials say they ‘empathise’ with communities left without a livelihood as a result of restrictions introduced at start of year

More than 100,000 fishing boats will be taken out of service to help protect waterway’s biodiversity and dwindling stocks, officials say

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Beijing says more than 100,000 fishing boats will be retired as a result of the ban on fishing in the Yangtze River. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:03pm, 16 Jul 2020Updated: 11:44pm, 16 Jul 2020

The Chinese government has promised to help 300,000 people in the fishing industry find new jobs after banning fishing in the Yangtze River at the start of the year in a bid to protect its biodiversity and dwindling stocks.

Beijing imposed a 10-year ban on January 1 at 332 conservation sites along the river, which at 6,300km (3,900 miles) is the longest in Asia and third-longest in the world. It also said it would extend the restriction to the main river course, key tributaries and major lakes linked to it by January 1 next year.

The ban has devastated communities that for generations have made a living fishing the Yangtze, and their search for alternative employment has been hit by the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Running from the Tibetan plateau to the East China Sea near Shanghai, the Yangtze and its tributaries pass through an area of China that is home to 459 million people, roughly equivalent to the populations of the United States and Japan combined.

The river has a rich biodiversity and is home to a large number of rare species, but decades of overexploitation has led to the near-complete depletion of its fisheries.