Recently, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Research Department approved and formally established the Community Conservation Area for wetland at Hutuo River (CCAfa).

In the future, under the leadership of Zhang Yinghui, the director of this CCAfa, and the volunteers of the Shijiazhuang Wildlife Conservation Alliance, will work together to protect the Hutuo River wetland ecological environment and biodiversity.

Historically, this area of Hutuo River has fertile soil and excellent agricultural cultivation conditions. Both sides of the river are the birthplace of the history and culture of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, known as the mother river of Shijiazhuang people.

Environmental problems of Hutuo River

However, since the 1980s, along with economic development, the demand for water consumption along the upstream has increased dramatically, and all rivers have been intercepted by upstream reservoirs, completely becoming a dry river. At the end of the 1990s, the Hutuo River withered up year-round, and several counties (cities) and districts along the lower reaches of Shijiazhuang gradually took it as a destination for the discharge of production and domestic sewage. A treaty 1-meter wide small river ditch receives about 320,000 tons of sewage on both sides of the river every day, making it a veritable sewage ditch.

In 2007, Shijiazhuang City launched a comprehensive remediation project for Hutuo River, a series of effective measures to improve the water ecological environment of the basin. However, to a certain extent, the current situation is still not optimistic, and many problems still need to be resolved urgently.

There are two main reasons: one is the destruction of the ecological environment (illegal fishing, sand mining in rivers, illegal construction of rivers), and the waste of natural resources; The second is the environmental pollution problem (dumping of garbage, direct discharge of industrial and domestic sewage, etc.) that is centered on the city and continues to spread to the surroundings. The two types of environmental problems penetrate and affect each other, and the problems are very prominent.

How to manage and protect Hutuo River

The Shijiazhuang Wildlife Conservation Alliance is also one of the eight privately managed folk river chief’s team authorized by the CBCGDF’s Shijiazhuang FDY Fish Protection Center (Oppose Electro Fishing Union) and Hebei Provincial Department of Water Conservancy’s River Chief Office. It is a "pure public welfare" biodiversity conservation organization in Shijiazhuang area, and has developed more than 500 volunteers. Volunteers take part in the rest time to participate in and carry out a series of activities of river cruise and river protection.

Work already carried out:

1.    Anti-electric fishing

Leading the convening of a theme meeting on anti-electric fishing in 2019 in the Shijiazhuang Agriculture and Rural Bureau. The meeting described the dangers of electric fishing to rivers, lakes and their ecological environment, and the importance of combating electric fishing; It has repeatedly cooperated with the fishery administration to carry out publicity and crack down on electric fishing and other illegal fishing behaviors, and arrested nearly ten suspects of illegal fishing. Because of its outstanding performance in assisting the fishery administration in the special law enforcement action against electric fishing, it was awarded the plaque of the Shijiazhuang workstation by the CBCGDF and the title of "Excellent Anti-Electric Fishing Workstation".

2.    Protection of wild animals and plants

Actively participate in the protection of wild animals and plants in the Shijiazhuang area, and cooperate with forest police in various places to carry out actions to dismantle bird nets, catch poisoning and kill wild animals. In 2019 alone, 30 birds were rescued, 28 birds were released, more than 2,000 dead birds were handled, and more than 1,000 leaflets of promotional materials were distributed.

3.    Protection of lakes and rivers

The protection of lakes and rivers will be the main task of the CBCGDF CCA for wetland at Hutuo River site. Water safety is the safety of people and wildlife, and actions will bring about changes.

(1). Carry out large-scale patrol activities at least once a week to patrol tributaries, lakes and wetlands in various places; report on polluted rivers, illegal sand mining and illegal electric fishing. While patrolling, develop local volunteers and actively participate in actions to protect wild animals and plants, so that more people can understand and participate in actions to patrol the river and protect wild animals and plants.

(2). To cooperate with relevant local departments, institutions, professional schools, primary and secondary schools, etc. to patrol the Hutuo River and its surrounding areas and carry out activities such as garbage collection and purification of river beaches.

4. Actively carry out publicity and education activities for youth volunteers

Relying on the youth education base of Beixincheng Primary School in Luquan District of CBCGDF, professional teachers are hired to carry out garbage classification training for students.

5. Vigorously develop the volunteer team

While developing volunteers in the field of ecological environment, actively participate in animal protection work and guide animal protectors to join.

Work Prospects

The CBCGDF Research Department decided to establish the 153rd CCAfa site, the Community Conservation Area for wetland at Hutuo River, to strengthen the protection of the river and wetland ecological environment in the Shijiazhuang area, support the volunteer team to continue its efforts to combat illegal fishing in the Shijiazhuang area and its attachments, protect local wildlife resources, and protect local rivers and lakes from pollution.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF CCA for wetland at Hutuo River site)

Original Chinese article:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/MHPl77qktTw1SQCnwV-OUQ

By / Maggie, Xiling