Fishermen and farmers in the vicinity of Poyang Lake in east
China's Jiangxi Province have been notified by the local fishing
authority that bans on shipping and fishing on the lake went into
effect.
In
a move to protect the environment and local marine resources, some
20,000-mu (1332.26 hectares) of Poyang Lake, mainly under the
jurisdiction of the province's Xingzi County and the Yongxiu
County, will be closed to both fishing and shipping, from this
winter through next spring.
According to Qian Xin'e, a local fishing official, the ban
stipulates that no fishing boats will be allowed on the lake and
fishermen will be prohibited from catching any fish during this
period.
Any individuals or organizations found violating the ban will face
legal punishment.
Annually since 1986, Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake,
has enacted a fishing ban between March 20 and June 20 -- the prime
spawning season for commercial fish.
The lake's annual shipping ban is imposed from October 10 to the
following April mainly on six ports with plentiful fish
habitats.
Covering an area of 3,583 square km, Poyang lake is now home to
diverse species of marine life and migratory birds.
(China
Daily 10/16/2001)