Eight people in central China's Hubei Province have received sentences ranging from six months to two years for illegal fishing, a local court in the city of Yichang said Friday.

The defendants were also asked to release over 3,900 kg of adult fish and some 1.7 million juvenile fish into the Yangtze, China's longest river, to restore the environment, according to the Wujiagang District People's Court.

In June, six people were caught electrofishing by police in the river. Around 800 kg of aquatic products were seized on site.

The investigation found a gang of eight frequently went fishing in the Yangtze River during closed fishing seasons, catching a total of more than 2,000 kg aquatic products this year.

It is the biggest case involving illegal fishing in the Hubei section of the Yangtze River in recent years.

China released a guideline in October to improve aquatic life protection and ecological rehabilitation in the Yangtze River, which has been damaged by human activities including water pollution and over-fishing.

Before 2020, fishing on major waters of the river will be banned throughout the year, more conservation areas will be built and better supervised and important habitats along the river should be put under effective protection. 

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