BEIJING — The fishing ban in key waters of China's Yangtze River basin has seen notable results, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Dec 15.

In the country's latest move to protect biodiversity, 231,000 fishermen on 111,000 boats have relinquished their nets so far in ten provincial regions along the river, the ministry said.

In January, China began a 10-year fishing moratorium in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin, which will expand to all the natural waterways of the country's longest river and its major tributaries from no later than Jan 1, 2021.

As of Dec 11, local governments had provided 218,000 fishermen with social security services and helped 165,000 fishermen moving ashore find new jobs.

Meanwhile, China has intensified the crackdown on illegal fishing along the Yangtze River.

Authorities have called for efforts to detect and report banned organized fishing, including group fishing, transportation, and distribution. They will also clamp down on unregistered boats.