Wetlands in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province will be better protected after the provincial legislature recently adopted regulations to conserve the so-called "lungs of the earth."

The regulations are the first to be adopted by a local legislature in China to protect wetlands, and will come into effect on Aug. 1.

Under the regulations, activities like farming, cattle or sheep herding, tree felling, hunting, bird egg collecting, or disposing of sewage in wetland areas will be illegal.

Heilongjiang is rich in wetlands, which cover 4.34 million hectares, accounting for 16 percent of the country's total.

However, the wetlands in the province were severely affected by over-farming and other human activities, hence putting flora and fauna in the area in great danger.

Since 1992 when China signed the international convention of wetlands, Heilongjiang has banned farming in wetland areas and set up 62 wetland nature reserves covering 2.75 million hectares.

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2003)