You may have heard the saying "The Yangtze River is China's mother river." It is almost 6,400 kilometers long. As the world's third-longest river, it covers one-fifth of China's land area. The Yangtze River Economic Zone(长江经济带) covers eleven provinces and cities, making up about forty percent of China's total population and GDP.
On December 26, China passed the Yangtze River Protection Law, which came into force on March 1, 2021. It is the first law to protect a waterway in China.
The mother river is in great need of protection because something is wrong with it. For example, because of overfishing and water pollution, the river's Chinese paddlefish has died out there. There's also desertified land and soil pollution near the river.
According to the law, fishing will not be allowed in all of the Yangtze's natural waterways, including its major tributaries(支流) and lakes. Those who are caught fishing will be fined(罚款) 50,000 to 500,000 yuan.
Digging sand will be strictly limited(限制) in the river. Many companies are digging sand along the river. However, this has led to lower water levels on the river, which has caused the river's water to decline.
Companies and factories along the river will need to focus on green development. If their activities do harm to the waterways, they will be moved away, the law says.
