HSK 4 · Article · 342 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-did-china-ban-fishing-on-the-yangtze

长江十年不打鱼

Why did China ban fishing on the Yangtze?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

长江chángjiāng里曾经céngjīng有yǒu一种yìzhǒng白色báisè的de海豚hǎitún，叫jiào白鳍豚báiqítún。它tā在zài长江chángjiāng里生活shēnghuó了le很hěn多年duōnián。可是kěshì二零零六年èrlínglíngliùnián，科学家kēxuéjiā在zài长江chángjiāng里找zhǎo了le好几háojǐ个gè星期xīngqī，一yì只zhī也yě没有méiyǒu找到zhǎodào。白鳍豚báiqítún很hěn可能kěnéng已经yǐjīng永远yóngyuǎn离开líkāi了le。

为什么wèishénme会huì这样zhèyàng？打鱼dǎyú的de人rén太tài多duō，江jiāng里的de船chuán越来越yuèláiyuè多duō，水shuǐ也yě变biàn脏zāng了le。人们rénmen担心dānxīn，下xià一个yígè消失xiāoshī的de，会huì是shì长江chángjiāng里另lìng一种yìzhǒng可爱kě’ài的de动物dòngwù：江豚jiāngtún。江豚jiāngtún的de嘴角zuíjiǎo往wǎng上shàng，看起来kànqilai总zǒng像xiàng在zài笑xiào，所以suóyǐ有人yǒurén叫jiào它tā“微笑wēixiào天使tiānshǐ”。

二零二一年èrlíng’èryīnián一yī月yuè一号yīhào，中国zhōngguó开始kāishǐ在zài长江chángjiāng的de重点zhòngdiǎn水域shuǐyù禁渔jìnyú十shí年nián。这zhè意味着yìwèizhe，十shí年nián里不能bùnéng在zài这些zhèxiē地方dìfang打鱼dǎyú。大约dàyuē十一万shíyīwàn条tiáo渔船yúchuán上shàng了le岸àn，二十多èrshíduō万wàn渔民yúmín要yào换huàn一种yìzhǒng生活shēnghuó：有的yǒude去qù工厂gōngchǎng上班shàngbān，有的yǒude开kāi了le小xiǎo饭馆fànguǎn，有的yǒude每天měitiān在zài江jiāng上shàng巡逻xúnluó，帮忙bāngmáng抓zhuā偷偷tōutōu打鱼dǎyú的de人rén。

几jǐ年nián过去guòqù了le，变化biànhuà开始kāishǐ出现chūxiàn。二零一七年èrlíngyīqīnián，长江chángjiāng里的de江豚jiāngtún大约dàyuē有yǒu一千零一十二yìqiānlíngyīshí’èr头tóu；到dào了le二零二二年èrlíng’èr’èrnián，数字shùzì变成biànchéng了le一千二百四十九yìqiān’èrbǎisìshíjiǔ头tóu。这zhè是shì几十年jǐshínián来lái第一次dìyīcì变biàn多duō。

十shí年nián禁渔jìnyú要yào到dào二零三零年èrlíngsānlíngnián才cái结束jiéshù。到dào那nà时候shíhou，长江chángjiāng会huì是shì什么shénme样子yàngzi？你nǐ觉得juéde，保护bǎohù一yì条tiáo河hé，最zuì难nán的de是shì什么shénme？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
生活	shēnghuó	life; to live
离开	líkāi	to leave; to depart; to go away from
船	chuán	boat; ship
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation
脏	zāng	dirty; filthy
担心	dānxīn	to worry; to be anxious
可爱	kě’ài	cute; lovely; adorable
动物	dòngwù	animal
总	zǒng	chief; general (as in 总部)
像	xiàng	like; as
地方	dìfang	place
换	huàn	to change; to replace

English (for the teacher)

The Yangtze once had a white dolphin called the baiji. It lived in the Yangtze for a very long time. But in 2006, scientists searched the river for several weeks and did not find a single one. The baiji has most likely gone for ever.

Why did this happen? Too many people were fishing, there were more and more boats on the river, and the water became dirty. People feared that the next to disappear would be another lovable Yangtze animal: the finless porpoise. The corners of a porpoise’s mouth turn up, so it always seems to be smiling, and some people call it the “smiling angel”.

On 1 January 2021, China began a ten-year fishing ban on key waters of the Yangtze. That means no fishing in those places for ten years. About 110,000 fishing boats came ashore, and more than 200,000 fishers had to change their way of life: some went to work in factories, some opened little restaurants, and some now patrol the river every day, helping catch people fishing in secret.

A few years on, changes began to appear. In 2017 the Yangtze had about 1,012 finless porpoises; by 2022 the number was 1,249. It was the first rise in decades.

The ten-year ban only ends in 2030. What will the Yangtze look like by then? What do you think is the hardest part of protecting a river?