Draft Yangtze conservation law adds stricter fishing ban policies

BEIJING -- A draft Yangtze River conservation law has proposed setting out more fishing ban policies and harsher punishments for law violations.

The draft was submitted on Tuesday to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a third reading.

The latest version of the draft has added provisions for imposing fishing bans in designated areas of the Yangtze estuary.

In January, China implemented a full fishing ban in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin, which will be expanded to a 10-year moratorium for all natural waterways of the country's longest river, including its major tributaries and lakes, from Jan 1, 2021.