Yangtze River shows recovery after China’s fishing ban

A 10-year commercial fishing ban on the Yangtze, enacted in 2021, has coincided with increased fish biomass and a rise in several endangered species between 2018 and 2023.

China enacted a 10-year commercial fishing ban across the Yangtze River basin in 2021, and new research comparing data from 2018 to 2023 reports signs of ecological recovery. The Yangtze had suffered decades of overfishing, dam building, pollution and habitat degradation that contributed to steep losses in freshwater biodiversity. Scientists sampled fish communities before and after the ban to assess changes in biomass and species composition. The study finds increases in overall sampled biomass and in the presence of several endangered and migratory species. Key findings: - Total sampled fish biomass in the study more than doubled between 2018 and 2023. - The number of species in samples rose by about 13%. - Overall fish counts remained roughly stable, while larger-bodied species increased their share of biomass and the total mass of smaller species declined by about 18%. - Several endangered or migratory species, including Yangtze sturgeon and slender tongue sole, showed signs of recovery, and the Yangtze finless porpoise population rose from 445 in 2017 to 595 in 2022. - The ban involved major social and economic measures, including the recall of 111,000 fishing boats, resettlement of 231,000 fishers, and an investment of more than $2.74 billion in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Summary: The fishing ban has coincided with measurable shifts in fish community structure and increases in some endangered species, and researchers report that recovery is continuing. They caution that these gains could be reversed if commercial fishing resumes and that lasting recovery depends on sustained management addressing multiple human pressures on the river. Undetermined at this time.