Yangtze's Striking Recovery Isn't Great for Fishermen

China's longest river may be starting to shake off decades of abuse. The Yangtze, once choked by pollution and overfishing that helped wipe out species like the baiji dolphin, is showing signs of recovery after a sweeping 2021 protection drive that includes a full fishing ban, reports the Economist. Officials say fish biomass has more than tripled following 70 years of decline, and a far larger share of fish are now surviving to reproductive age—key for long-term restoration.

The turnaround deemed "remarkable" by the Economist gives Beijing an opportunity to promote itself as a defender of biodiversity, even if it is the world's biggest polluter in terms of carbon-dioxide emissions, notes Semafor. The fishing ban has indeed been key to the turnaround, a study earlier this year in Science concluded. But other factors included "water quality improvement, hydrological and riparian habitat restoration, and vessel traffic reduction." All told, it suggests a model for other large rivers, the researchers wrote. Largely left out of that narrative: An estimated 230,000 fishermen have seen their livelihoods disappear as a result of the new restrictions.