CHONGQING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Piloting a fishing boat on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Liu Hong's keen eyes swept the water surface to spot if there are any illegal fishing activities.
Liu, 50, is a leader of a voluntary patrol team guarding a national nature reserve of rare fish in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Established eight years ago and supported by the local government, the team now has 11 members, most of whom used to live by fishing, including Liu.
The change of the roles of those fishermen is part of a series of efforts made by southwest China's Chongqing Municipality to protect the ecological environment of China's "mother river."
Since the establishment of the voluntary patrol team, local fishermen have waged a war against poaching, helping uncover more than 1,000 cases of illegal fishing activities along the river.
On Jan. 1, 2021, a 10-year fishing ban took effect in pivotal waters of the Yangtze.
Chongqing has established a long-term management mechanism for the fishing ban and achieved full coverage of law enforcement cooperation in interprovincial boundary waters.
Thanks to the continuous efforts, the number of rare fishes has recovered notably.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service