Species at risk aim of one ban

URUMQI - A three-month fishing ban has been imposed again this year along a section of the Irtysh River in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in an attempt to protect endangered species of fish.

The ban, which covers 633 kilometers, has been applied each year since 2005, fishery officers said.

"We chose to ensure the ban is in place during April and May because fish in the river migrate along it from Kazakhstan on their way to spawning in the Altay prefecture in Xinjiang and we need to allow time for the young fish to grow," said Zhu Xinying, deputy director of Altay aquatic products bureau.