Southwest China's Guizhou Province will impose fishing ban in all local rivers, lakes and reservoirs from February to May this year, according to the newly-adopted regulations on local fishery development.

The Guizhou Provincial Regulations on Fishery, which took effect on January 1 this year, was adopted at the recently-held 18th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 10th Guizhou Provincial People's Congress.

The regulations stipulate that fishing will be banned in all local rivers, lakes and reservoirs from February to May each year.

In the past, fishing was just banned in certain rivers and water areas in Guizhou.

According to the regulations, people who do fishing or other activities threatening fishery resources during fishing ban will receive warning and punishment, as well as a fine ranging from 100 yuan to 1,000 yuan.

Those who are found to sell and purchase illegal catch will be fined one to five times the value of the catch and their possession will be confiscated.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)