China imposes a fishing ban extending for six months on its longest river, the Yangtze, from February 1.

The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered that all fishing boats must be withdrawn from the 6,300-kilometer-long river, the third longest in the world, and restaurants along the river are prohibited from selling fish during the ban period.

On the upper reaches, the ban runs from Feb.1 to Apr.30, while on the lower reaches, it runs from Apr.1 and Jun.30.

The action will also extend to some major lakes adjacent to the river. An estimated 50,000 fishermen will lose their jobs during the ban.

For thousands of years, fishing has been the basic livelihood for Chinese living along the Yangtze. The yearly catch was more than 400,000 tons before the 1980s, accounting for 60 percent of China's total fresh water catch.

"Excessive fishing has seriously reduced fish resources in the Yangtze, and this is why the country has to impose a ban," said Qiu Chengsong, a fisheries expert.

Since the 1980s, too many water conservancy projects have been built on the Yangtze, while pollution became severe. Greedy fishermen have frequently used illegal means like explosives and poisons to net fish.

Qiu said many rare species like the white-flag dolphin and the white sturgeon were on the edge of extinction.

The fishing ban coincided with the spring season when the fish laid eggs, Qiu said.

Experts said the measure reflected the Chinese government's determination that economic development should not damage the eco-system.

The government has taken some measures, including providing subsidies, for fishermen who face economic losses. Experts also said the fishermen could expect to net bigger fish when the ban ends and their incomes would rise.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2003)