BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is the
busiest season at Qinghai Lake, the largest saline lake in
China.
Birds feed and nurture their young, herders drive yaks to the
alpine pastures. Meanwhile, an army of naked carp, a species unique
to the lake, gather to start their annual migration.
The fish swim in the lake, which lies in northwest China's Qinghai
Province, at an average depth of 18 meters. But the high
saline and alkaline content of the lake water inhibits their gonad
development, so every year from May to August the mature naked carp
head to the fresh waters of the Buha River and Shaliu River, that
flow into the lake, to spawn. This forms one of the great wonders
of Qinghai Lake – the migration of the naked carp.
The 'lost and found' naked carp
The naked carp has a special place in the hearts of people in
Qinghai, because it once helped
save countless lives. In the 1950s and 1960s, food shortages led
locals to rely on the fish for survival. The large-scale
development of Qinghai Lake's naked
carp population began.
But in just a few decades, the "gift of the divine lake," as the
fish was known, was in danger of extinction due to overfishing
and habitat loss. By the early 21st century, the number of naked
carp in Qinghai Lake had fallen to less than 1 percent of the
historical peak.
The local government implemented fishing bans and cracked down
hard on illegal fishing and trading. Combined with artificial
breeding and the improvement of the ecology of the lake, the carp
population bounced back despite a low fertility rate.
Over time, the efforts have paid off. As of 2023, the total
tonnage of naked carp in the lake had reached about 120,300 – about
44 times that of 2002. The fish's protection status has since been
downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable."
The protection of the naked carp is just one example of the
success of China's conservation
efforts. From giant pandas and crested ibises to golden snub-nosed
monkeys, the populations of rare species have gradually grown as
the country's system of nature reserves has developed.
China is home to some of the
richest biodiversity on Earth and is the only country with nearly
all ecosystem types. Its natural protected areas have boosted
biodiversity conservation and play a primary role in safeguarding
national ecological security.
Nature reserves of various types have been established in
the People's Republic of China
since its founding in 1949. Protection of endangered species has
been continuously strengthened, international cooperation has
grown, and the network of natural protected areas is bearing
fruit.
Ecological civilization was incorporated into China's integrated development plan in 2012,
when Xi Jinping became China's top
leader. Since then, greater changes have been seen across the
country as Xi emphasized the importance of seeking harmonious
coexistence between humanity and nature.
"The Book of Changes (l Ching) says, 'We should learn about the
changes of the season by studying natural phenomena and foster
social development by studying human phenomena. Wealth arises from
following the way of heaven and earth and assisting the natural
order'," Xi said at the National Conference on Ecological and
Environmental Protection on May 18,
2018.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, by
June 2024, the country had restored
over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of ecosystems that
include mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands
and deserts.
China's protected areas cover
18 percent of its land area and 4.1 percent of its maritime area,
corresponding to 90 percent of its terrestrial ecosystem types, 85
percent of wild animal populations, 65 percent of higher plant
communities and nearly 30 percent of important geological
relics.
The country's nature reserves are a solid foundation for
ecological environmental protection, and the "China Biodiversity
Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030)" has clarified
priority areas and actions for biodiversity conservation.
China has also shouldered its
international responsibilities, participated in global
environmental governance and biodiversity conservation cooperation,
and been the driving force for the concept of a community with a
shared future for mankind, emphasizing the interdependence and
common challenges faced by all countries.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-27/Why-has-China-s-nature-reserve-network-proved-invaluable--1xezv2eED4c/p.html
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