Starting from January 1, 2022, a new fishing ban in the Yangtze River basin is come into force in Hunan Province, which was approved by the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People’s Congress on December 3, 2021

According to the ban, citizens are required not to engage in leisure fishing with multiple rods, lines or hooks at the same time. Use of video devices, fish detection equipment when fishing is also prohibited. Serious violators shall be prosecuted for criminal liabilities.
 
More than 96% of the land area of Hunan belongs to the Yangtze River basin. Hunan has been working to not only promote the inland fishery, but also enforce the fishing ban and withdrawal of fishermen concerned.
 
In the light of the actual conditions of the province, the ban defines the prohibited areas for fishing, i.e. the aquatic reserves in the Yangtze River Basin, the Hunan section of the main stream of the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake, the main streams of Xiangjiang River, Zijiang River, Yuanjiang River and Lishui River, and other waters designated and approved by the governments.
 
The ban outlaws the productive fishing in aquatic reserves and other prohibited areas during the fishing ban period. No fishing is also allowed in the aquatic reserves or the first-class protection zone for drinking water sources. The fishing ban gives considerations to both the protection of aquatic resources, but also the public recreational needs.
 
In July 2020, the Changsha government issued the Circular on perennial fishing ban in key waters of Changsha, which include Xiangjiang River, Liuyanghe River, Laodao River, Weishui River, Jinjiang River, Longwanggang River, Shahe River. In the prohibited fishing areas, fishermen are not allowed to fish with the use of electricity, poisons and explosives, conduct productive fishing, or use electric fishing equipment, traps, nets, and other fishing gear. A three-year campaign would be carried out to crack down on illegal fishing.
 
On December 17, 2021, officers gathered near the Xiangjiang River in patrol boats to investigate and give due punishment to those involved in illegal fishing and use of fishing gear, in an effort to safeguard Xiangjiang River in this winter.
 
Since the beginning of 2021, Changsha has carried out in-depth publicity on the “ten-year fishing ban” by sending text messages and distributing more than 150,000 copies of materials to citizens. The fishing ban enforcement and supervision departments at all levels in the city have conducted more than 91,000 inspections and 628 joint actions against illegal fishing, with a total of 2,693 pieces of illegal fishing gear cleaned up, 112 fishing vessels without any certificate banned, and 420 cases concerning fishing handled.
 
“Once illegal fishing is filmed, the system will send the image data and precise locations to the patrol’s mobile phones in real time,” said Qi Yuxue, deputy commander of the Fisheries Administration Brigade of Changsha Comprehensive Agricultural Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau.
 
This year, 14 surveillance cameras have been installed on both sides of the Xiangjiang River, which can rotate 360 degrees and record 24-7 of each illegal fishing. Next, 310 cameras at Changsha’s key rivers and their tributaries will also be connected to the system.
 
Qi Yuxue said that in accordance with law, citizens would be permitted to fish for pleasure with legal fishing gear in waters apart from the first-class protection zone for drinking water sources. In addition, according to the Changsha Bridge and Tunnel Safety Management regulations, fishing on the bridge is also prohibited.