The photo shows a white crane (front), which is under state first-level protection, and spoonbills, under state second-level protection, hunting for food on the Poyang Lake, in central China's Hubei Province.

During the Living Lake Conference recently held in South Africa, Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, which is located on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, joined the World Living Network.

Created by the Global Nature Fund, this is an international non-governmental and non-profit organization aimed at promoting the world's lake resources protection and sustainable development. Each country has one lake organization allowed to become a network member. Currently, the network involves 19 lakes on five continents and more than 20 non-governmental environmental and sustainable development organizations.

(China.org.cn November 19, 2002)