China's Yangtze River Fish Population Doubles in Two Years

For the first time in decades, one of the world's most polluted rivers is proving that environmental collapse can be reversed.

China's Yangtze River, stretching nearly 4,000 miles and supporting over 400 million people, has seen its fish population more than double in just two years. The dramatic turnaround came after China launched a sweeping 10-year fishing ban in 2021, backed by $3 billion in government funding.

The results, published in the journal Science, stunned researchers who have watched the river decline for decades. Fish biomass doubled, species diversity jumped 13 percent, and several endangered species showed strong recovery signs.

"It is really fantastic news," said Sébastien Brosse, a biologist at the University of Toulouse who co-authored the study. "It is one of the first times that we can say that government measures have not just worked, but have really improved things."

The Yangtze paid a steep price for China's industrial rise. Pollution, overfishing, dam construction, and habitat destruction devastated the ecosystem, culminating in the 2006 extinction of the baiji, a freshwater dolphin revered in Chinese mythology.

Scientists spent years calling for protection, but real action didn't come until 2021. China's government enacted the decade-long fishing ban and decommissioned 100,000 fishing boats while compensating roughly 200,000 fishers with new job opportunities.

The strategy worked partly because it balanced conservation with human needs. Using evolutionary game theory, policymakers designed incentives and penalties that considered how different groups would respond over time.

The Ripple Effect

The Yangtze's recovery is already inspiring hope for other threatened waterways worldwide. The critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, which had dropped to just 400 individuals, has rebounded to an estimated 600.

Researchers believe the model could work for rivers like Southeast Asia's Mekong, which faces similar threats from overfishing and development. The combination of science-based policy, substantial funding, and community support proved that large-scale restoration is possible even in heavily populated regions.

"The results provide hope that in an era of global biodiversity decline, ambitious political decisions that support large-scale restoration efforts can help reverse the ecosystem damages of the past," said lead researcher Fangyuan Xiong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Still, scientists warn the recovery remains fragile. Illegal fishing continues in some tributaries, pollution from industrial runoff persists, and massive dams still block migration routes for species like the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon.

Enforcement will need to stay strong, especially at local levels where monitoring is harder. But the early success proves that with enough political will and resources, even rivers pushed to the brink can chart a course toward renewal.