The health of China’s Yangtze River is improving, but endangered species are still under threat. Photo: XinhuaThe Yangtze is China’s longest river, and it is an important home for fish and other animals. A government report says the river’s health is improving. But there is still a long way to go to protect the animals in the Yangtze.
Officials said that the government’s plans to protect the Yangtze River caused these improvements. The policies were centred around a 10-year fishing ban that started in 2020.
Before these changes, many species struggled to survive because man-made projects hurt the river.
Now, life in the river has slowly improved since the fishing ban began. Last year, 227 species of native fish were found in the Yangtze River basin. This is 34 more than the previous year. The report gave an excellent rating for the overall water quality of the Yangtze and other smaller rivers and streams nearby.
But the report warned that the situation is still dangerous. There are still many endangered species that need help.