BEIJING, Feb. 22 -- The Yangtze River, the longest waterway in China, saw continuous improvement in its water quality in 2022 as the country continues its efforts on the river's protection, an environmental official said Wednesday.

In 2022, the quality of the water in 98.1 percent of the Yangtze's sections stood above Grade II, the second-highest level in the country's five-tier water quality system, said Huang Xiaozeng, head of the department of water ecology and environment at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment during a press conference.

This marks an increase of 1 percentage point year-on-year, according to the ministry.

It was the third consecutive year that the main stream of the Yangtze River has maintained Grade II water quality, it said.

The Chinese government has attached great importance to the Yangtze's conservation. To restore the biodiversity along the river, China implemented a full fishing ban in 332 conservation areas of the Yangtze River basin in January 2020. The move has since been expanded to a 10-year moratorium along the river's main streams and major tributaries, effective Jan. 1, 2021.

In 2022, the water quality of the main stream of the Yellow River, known as the "Mother River" in China, reached Grade II for the first time, according to the ministry.