On June 12, 2020, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) volunteers discovered the behavior of illegal fishing by using fishing boats, cage nets, etc. during the fishing ban period at Gongdukou on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (Xuzhou section). They stopped it at the first time, and promptly reported to Pizhou Fishery Supervision Brigade.

According to the feedback from the volunteers, after the local fishery administration received the report, the police were dispatched to the scene to investigate and collect evidence. After the incident, they informed the volunteers that these boats had been registered in the fishery administration and held fishing certificates; In addition, they did not hold accountable for the use of cage nets for fishing during the fishing ban period, and only gave confirmation on the police records, and did not continue to hold the relevant personnel accountable.

The ground cage net is an illegal fishing tool severely cracked down by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Volunteers believe that after so many days have passed, the relevant authorities have not only held accountable those who used cage nets for violations of regulations, but also claimed that these illegal fishing boats hold qualified certificates.

Early in the morning on Monday, June 15, volunteers decided to go to Pizhou City, Jiangsu Province, fishing season supervision team again to find out the standards of the banned fishing gear, whether there are regulations on the banned fishing period, and ship inspection qualification standards and other documents.

The captain of the fishery administration said that the fishing ban season of the Yangtze River and Hongze Lake in Jiangsu Province is from March 1 to June 30. There is no closed season in the Middle Canal. Volunteers asked the fishery officials to show the written regulations on the fishing ban period, as well as the written materials for the banned fishing gear and the ship inspection qualification standards, but they were told that they had no right to view these materials.

Volunteers believe: "The Pizhou Fishery Supervision Brigade’s standards for illegal fishing tools and the information on the fishing ban period are not disclosed, making it difficult to judge illegal fishing, which has caused in the Pizhou City section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, illegal fishing and other activities that destroy water ecology are carried out every day. "

In the evening of the same day, volunteers went to Gongdukou on the Grand Canal and found that there was still a phenomenon of using ground cage nets fishing. Volunteers are helpless, reported it but has not been effective. The fishery administration said that such behavior is not illegal. It took so much effort to protect it, but it was useless, and it could only let the ecological environment of the Grand Canal be damaged.

On June 16, volunteers went to Pizhou City water affairs department to reflect on the illegal use of fishing gear on the Grand Canal. The water affairs department attached great importance to this matter, and recorded the situation reflected, and would promptly investigate and deal with it.

Later, volunteers found that there were two shops selling wild birds along Zhongxing Road in Canal Street, Pizhou City, including throstle, Mongolian lark, starling, etc., and these two stores sell Nyasa Lovebird, a national second-level protected animal.

Volunteers also reported to the Market Supervision Administration through the citizen hotline that the bird market sold birds. Volunteers went to Pizhou City Natural Resources Bureau to report this problem. The Natural Resources Bureau's Complaints office received and accepted the case. Volunteers will continue to follow up reports.

Over the past few days, volunteers have discovered quite some problems about the ecological environment during the patrol in Pizhou City. It is hoped that the relevant government departments of Pizhou City will pay attention to it and take measures for remediation.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF volunteers)

By / Maggie