In line with national policy, east China's Anhui province will carry out a fishing ban along the lower reaches of the country's longest river from April 1 to June 30, according to sources with the local government.

Besides the 402-km mainstream of the Yangtze River in the province, the three-month fishing ban also will cover some 178,000 hectares of lakes adjacent to the river's branches, according to the provincial plan.

"Due to the serious reduction of fish resources in the Yangtze River, it is vital to provide fish an environment in which they can survive and grow," said Zhang Huaqiu, high official of China's Ministry of Agriculture.

In consideration of the interests of fishermen, the province will grant 1,000 special certificates for two kinds of fish that will be in fishing season during the ban period.

For thousands of years, fishing has been the basic livelihood for Chinese living along the 6,300-km-long Yangtze River. But excessive fishing has seriously damaged fish resources there, and led to the near extinction of many rare species like the white-flag dolphin and the white sturgeon.

A three-month ban currently being imposed on the river's upper reaches is due to end April 30.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2003)