China tightens fight against illegal fishing along Yangtze River

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities on Monday launched a campaign to crack down on illegal fishing in the Yangtze River basin.

Jointly deployed by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the campaign calls for efforts to secure solid progress on a fishing ban on the main river and numerous natural waterways in the basin.

Police authorities along the Yangtze River will organize a three-year campaign to combat illegal fishing, said Lin Rui, vice minister of public security.

Lin also demanded resolute efforts to cut the underground industrial chain of illegal fishing, transportation and business operations.

Agricultural authorities at all levels should implement targeted measures against illegal fishing and further improve joint law-enforcement efforts with other administrations, said Yu Kangzhen, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs.

Public security organs investigated over 2,300 criminal cases of illegal fishing in 2019 and cracked more than 2,000 such cases from January to May this year.

China began a 10-year fishing moratorium from the beginning of this year in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin, which will be expanded to all the natural waterways of the country's longest river and its major tributaries from no later than January 1, 2021.