China's major lake bans fishing to protect fishery resources

NANJING -- China's Hongze Lake, the fourth-largest freshwater lake in the country, announced a fishing ban, effective Saturday, in order to protect fishery resources and lake environment, according to local authorities.

The fishing ban was imposed on the lake area governed by East China's Jiangsu province. Local authorities will revoke fishing rights and relevant certificates of fishery producers involving 3,668 fishing vessels, said Zhang Shengyu, an official with the lake's fisheries management commission.

The authorities will conduct a round-the-clock inspection in the lake, especially in the protected and restricted areas, shorelines, and wharves, Zhang said.

They will crack down on illegal fishing activities as well as fishing vessels without names, certificates, or ports of registry.

China has imposed a fishing ban in 332 conservation areas along the Yangtze River from the beginning of this year, and a 10-year fishing ban, starting from Jan 1, 2021, will cover all the key waters of the country's longest river.