On March 28, 2019, the long-awaited "2019 Anti-Electric Fishing Convention" was finally held in Beijing and ended successfully. At the meeting, the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Dr. Zhou Jinfeng delivered a speech and expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. He said that before the Anti-Electric Fishing Convention, the leaders held a symposium in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to discuss the work of the convention and also discussed the work of the CBCGDF FDY Fish Protection Center (Oppose Electro Fishing Union). Thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for their attention and support for the work of CBCGDF. He also thanked the Yangtze River Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, including the relevant departments of fisheries law enforcement departments in Chongqing and other places. Thanks to their Great support in the combating between volunteers and electric fishing criminals.
The following is Dr. Zhou’s live speech shared with readers:
Founded in 1985, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) was jointly established by the three comrades of Lv Zhengcao, Qian Changzhao and Bao Erhan, who were then vice chairmen of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Entrusted by the Central Committee, Comrade Lv Zhengcao served as the chairman of the first session. Up to now, it is the fourth session of council of CBCGDF, and comrade Hu Deping is the chairman. In 1992, China signed the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the State Council approved the change name to the China Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. Later in the late 1990s, CBCGDF was entrusted by the Central Committee. Comrade Hu Deping made a second name change after embarking on the Green Development Study and changed its name to the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF).
Today, the situation we face is the rapid development of human industrial civilization, and the ecological environment is facing great challenges. In 2000, more than 190 heads of state of the United Nations signed a United Nations "Millennium Plan" and planned to do eight major tasks in 15 years. In 2015, when the "Millennium Plan" ended, the Chinese government informed the world about the completion of China's "Millennium Plan", especially the eight tasks in 15 years. In this report, only one item China has not been completed, and other goals have been completed or basically completed. This is the sub-item of the seventh item (the item 7b): reducing the rate of disappearance of biodiversity. The Chinese government’s answer is not completed, and of course the world has not done neither. This is the background of global biodiversity conservation that we are facing now. Our biodiversity conservation task is quite arduous. Since 1992, after so many years of hard work around the world, it has not changed this situation, and even the improvement has not been achieved.
In this context, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the central government proposed the construction of ecological civilization, and the President Xi proposed green development. What we do is a very important part of biodiversity conservation, which is the protection of aquatic species. Because the rivers, creeks, lakes, and seas provide food, provide rich protein, and provide a very important support for the entire ecological environment. Now we believe that the participation of the people is the key to biodiversity conservation. Next year, the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) will be held in China. Deputy Prime Minister Han Zheng held a joint meeting of the State Council a bit while ago to arrange the work of the CBD COP15 in China. We believe that this COP15 should share our efforts, our achievements and our experience with the world.
Last week, when I participated in the UNEA4 in Nairobi, I introduced the Oppose Electro Fishing Union to the Secretary General of the United Nations Environment Assembly. The United Nations environmental experts attached great importance to this and thought it was a pioneering work of the Chinese people. It was the great experiment, is a very meaningful thing, and he hopes that we can use it as a typical sample to introduce to the United Nations and other countries. It can be said that what CBCGDF is doing is very important, but these are inseparable from the government's support from the central to the local law enforcement agencies. With the strong support of government departments and caring enterprises, the anti-electric fishing volunteers are likely to better work across the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs also sent a letter of thanks to the CBCGDF FDY Fish Protection Center. Special thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and local authorities for their support. Because of your support, volunteers will be able to go further and participate more and be able to do this better. At the same time, we also hope that today's meeting will allow everyone to fully communicate with each other, hear more stories from everyone, and infect more people to participate in our team. At last, I hope that in the future, we can work more closely with relevant government departments, relevant industry associations, and caring enterprises to jointly protect our aquatic living resources and water environment, jointly cast our ideals and build a beautiful home for mankind.
(This article is based on the live recording of the speaker, without his own check.)
(Photo credit: CBCGDF)
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Original Chinese article:
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By / Niu Jingmei